


To Build a Family

by moretrash



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Adoption, Allura is a social worker in this, Alternate Universe - Foster Family, Alternate Universe - Human, Dads of Marmora (Voltron), Fluff, Foster Care, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Keith's Father isn't Keith's father in this one, Kid Fic, Kolivan and Antok are the softest couple, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Rated for Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, That's just how AO3 tags him
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-28
Updated: 2019-08-28
Packaged: 2019-09-28 23:30:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 21,686
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17192261
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moretrash/pseuds/moretrash
Summary: Married couple Kolivan and Antok make the decision to foster a child.Foster child Keith finds a safe, loving home with them.





	1. Chapter 1

Kolivan liked to think he was living the best possible life that he could.

He was the CEO of the very successful kitchenware company Knives of Marmora, a company that produced cutlery, dishes, and other kitchenware for restaurants, designed to last a long time. They had many dedicated customers all over the world, and more being added with every week. The company was small enough that he wasn’t drawing news attention from every possible outlet, giving him a very happy and peaceful life.

He was happily married to the love of his life, Antok. His husband was a personal trainer, and a complete gentleman who always made them breakfast in bed and always had a warm bath and a nice dinner ready when Kolivan returned home from a long day of stressful meetings. The pair lived together in a nice penthouse in Phoenix, Arizona, and they liked to consider themselves very happy with their lives.

But they couldn’t help but feel like something was missing.

They couldn’t place it at first. They were perfectly happy with their lives and their marriage and their cat, Kova, so what could possibly be missing from their lives?

And then they realized it.

They wanted a child.

-

The realization didn’t come all at once. It came in phases.

Antok’s brother, Thace, and his husband, Ulaz, had two adopted children and were fostering one that Antok had heard they wanted to adopt as well. Ulaz was an emergency room doctor at a nearby hospital, so he worked long hours. Thace was a software developer, and although he mostly had the liberty of working from home, he was sometimes called into work for an important meeting.

During these times, Thace would call Antok and Kolivan and ask if they could keep an eye on their three children, and would drop them off on his way into the office.

Thirteen year old Sendak was the oldest of Thace’s children, and had been adopted as a baby. He wasn’t often with Thace when he dropped the children off, most likely with friends or at school or at a study group. He was intelligent and quick-witted, and Antok thought he might take after Ulaz’s love of helping others someday.

Ten year old Regris was the middle child, and had been adopted by Thace and Ulaz at the age of four after the pair had fostered the child for two years prior. Like his older brother, Regris was intelligent, but he seemed to take more after Thace’s love of technology and coding.

 

The youngest of their three children was four year old Lotor. Thace and Ulaz had been fostering the child for about a year, and he was the cutest thing Antok thought he had ever seen. He was shy and quiet, but no less intelligent than his brothers. When Antok was watching the children, Lotor would often sit with Kolivan and read some business magazine over the man’s shoulder.

Watching Kolivan interact with his nephews made Antok realize that he wanted to adopt a child with him. He was gentle and kind to the children, and he would make an amazing father in Antok’s opinion.

-

Likewise, Kolivan’s sister Krolia was happily married to her husband, Tex, and they had two young girls together.

Acxa was seven years old, and Kolivan was sure that the girl would do very well in her life. She did gymnastics and she was also a student in the martial arts classes that Krolia taught for a living. From what Kolivan had seen, Acxa was a very skilled fighter.

Ezor was five years old, and she was a complete extrovert. She was still going through the phase where she asked questions about everything and anything, but Kolivan always tried to answer her curious questions if he could. It was good to answer her questions, to allow her to be curious, in Kolivan’s opinion.

Like Thace, Krolia would sometimes have an emergency and have to drop the girls off with Kolivan when she couldn’t get a babysitter. Tex worked long hours as a firefighter, so he couldn’t take care of the two girls when Krolia had to leave.

 

When Kolivan watched Antok interact with his nieces, he found himself longing for a family of his own with his husband. Antok was a gentle giant, and watching his run around with one of the girls on his shoulders, pretending to be a pony or a giant or a centaur for the excited young girl, it made Kolivan long to see that every day of his life.

-

“Hey, ‘Tok?” Kolivan asked one night as the two laid in bed. It was their wind-down period before they went to sleep, when Antok would read his book and Kolivan would either play with Antok’s short hair or the scar that went diagonally across his face. Antok glanced up from his book and smiled.

“Yes, Koli?” Antok asked.

“How do you feel about kids?” Kolivan asked quietly. Antok looked over and smiled, pulling his husband close.

“If I’m being honest, I’ve always wanted to raise some children with you.” Antok admitted. Kolivan smiled and laid his head on Antok’s chest, relaxing.

“I want that too, ‘Tok. But I’ve been thinking, if we have kids… maybe we could foster?” He suggested. Antok tilted his head and set his book on his side table.

“What do you mean?” He questioned. Kolivan shrugged and gently rubbed the back of his neck.

“Well, I’ve been thinking. We could adopt a baby, but then I started thinking about all the kids in the foster care system who wouldn’t be adopted because they were considered to be too old. I just… I don’t know, I really want to give one or two of those kids a happy home.” Kolivan said. Antok nodded and thought for a few moments before responding.

“I think that’s a great idea, Kolivan. I think we should talk to Ulaz and Thace about their experience with fostering before we make a decision, though, at our gathering tomorrow night.” Antok said. Tomorrow was a day off for both Ulaz and Thace, and the two couples had agreed to gather in Thace and Ulaz’s home for a small gathering. 

“I suppose that’d be a good idea. Tomorrow, then.” Kolivan said, reaching over to turn off the lamp and laying his head on Antok’s chest. “Goodnight, ‘Tok.”

“Goodnight, my love.” Antok said quietly, settling into the pillows for the night.

-

The next evening found Kolivan and Antok at the home of Thace and Ulaz. The fours adults were enjoying glasses of wine, while the three children were given grape juice after they asked for a taste of the wine.

“This is grape juice!” Regris had called out almost immediately upon tasting it. Thace smiled lightly.

“Wine is just adult grape juice, Reg. You know you’re too young to try it.” Thace said. Regris seemed pacified for the time being and settled back down. Young Lotor didn’t seem to care whether he was given wine or grape juice, just going along with his brothers when they asked for a taste of the wine.

Ulaz had made dinner, some chicken breast with veggies and mac and cheese for the children, and the same but with vegetables and mashed potatoes for the adults and Sendak, who was considering himself too old for mac and cheese.

Sendak had gone upstairs to study for a test he had the next day soon after dinner, bidding goodnight to Kolivan and Antok. Thace set Regris up at the table with the homework he had yet to complete, Ulaz had helped Lotor get started on a puzzle so that the adults could talk.

It was idle chatter at first, work and plans for the next few months. Ulaz had a busy schedule as always, and Thace had a few new projects to work on for the next few months. 

But, after Regris and Lotor had been sent to bed, the conversation turned to dirty jokes and stories that were certainly not for children’s ears. During a lull in conversation, Antok smiled and leaned back in his seat.

“So, Thace, how has it been being a foster parent?” He asked curiously. Thace shrugged and smiled.

“I mean, its hard, I’m not going to lie. The kids come from awful backgrounds, abuse or abandonment or any other sorts of things. But, with the right care and making sure they get the professional help if they need any, it can be great. It disgusts me that some people are just in it for the money and abuse the kids they’re supposed to provide a safe and loving home to. I mean, when I look at Lotor and Regris, I see amazing kids! I wouldn’t ever dare hurt them.” Thace said. “Why do you ask?”

“Kolivan and I have been thinking of fostering.” Antok said. Ulaz perked up and smiled.

“What made you think of it?” He asked.

“Well, we both want to raise a child, but then we started to think about the children who wouldn’t be adopted because most people think they’re too old, so they just go from home to home. We want to give a happy home to one or two.” Antok said. Thace smiled and leaned back in his chair and against Ulaz.

“That’s a very nice reason. Its rewarding, truly, but you have to accept the fact that you’re going to take in a kid that might come from a horrific background, and they might not just integrate with the family immediately.” Thace said.

“We’ve acknowledged that, and we’re prepared to face that.” Kolivan said. Ulaz laughed sadly.

“Everyone thinks that until they’re actually faced with it and honestly, no one can prepare themselves for a time when a child you consider your own is sobbing on your shoulder and begging you for the answer to why their parent didn’t want them, or why they hurt them. Its heartbreaking.” Ulaz said. Kolivan nodded and smiled before he caught a glimpse of short white-blonde hair in the hallway.

“Uh oh, looks like someone didn’t go to bed.” Kolivan said good-naturedly. Thace and Ulaz turned their heads to the hallway, smiling when they saw Lotor’s signature bright hair.

“Hey, buddy, whatcha doin’ up so late?” Ulaz asked, going into the hallway and scooping the child into his arms. Lotor blinked tiredly and shrugged, leaning his head on Ulaz’s shoulder. It was a long way from when he had first arrived at their residence, when he would get upset when Ulaz picked him up. Lotor had become a member of the family, and he had been from the start, it just took Thace and Ulaz time and patience to convince him that he was loved like their other two sons.

“Sorry.” He said quietly. Ulaz smiled brightly and gently tickled Lotor’s side to hear the quiet giggles from the preschooler.

“Hey, no worries, buddy! Sometimes you can’t go to sleep right away, and that’s okay.” Ulaz said. “What if I read you a story, huh?” He asked. Lotor smiled shyly.

“Peterrific?” Lotor asked. Antok could see the look in Ulaz’s eyes dim, telling him that this had been the story request for several weeks, like the phase that Ezor had been through when she was three where she watched nothing but The Backyardigans. Krolia still swore up and down that if she ever heard one more rendition of “We are your backyard friends, the Backyardigans!” She was going to throw the television out of the window.

“Of course we can read Peterrific, buddy.” Ulaz said, going in the direction of Lotor’s bedroom. Lotor was grinning as he played with his stuffed cat that Antok had gotten him for his birthday. It looked just like Kova because he had noticed the boy’s fascination with the cat.

As he watched the interaction, Kolivan was sure that he wanted to give that sort of happiness to a child.

-

Kolivan was awoken the next morning by a comb running through his long hair. He smiled and turned around, seeing his husband gently combing his hair out.

“Good morning, love.” Kolivan said quietly, dark eyes sleepy and heavy. Antok smiled and separated Kolivan’s hair into three sections to begin braiding it. He always woke up a few hours before Kolivan, to go on a morning jog and make the two of them a delicious breakfast in bed. He believed in pampering his husband in every way that he could and every chance that he got, whether it be with breakfast in bed or a nice, relaxing evening planned when he returned home from long meetings. Antok always had the most pressing tasks like cleaning certain things done when Kolivan returned, to take a bit of stress off his husband’s shoulders. 

Kolivan thought that he couldn’t fall in love more than he already was, but Antok proved him more wrong with every day that passed.

“Good morning, honey. I made us breakfast.” Antok said. Kolivan grinned and sat up.

“I can’t wait, you’re such an amazing cook.” Kolivan said. Antok smiled bashfully and placed a tray between them. Today’s breakfast consisted of toast with Kolivan’s favorite grape jam, various fruits, bacon, and a cup of coffee and a cup of juice for both of them. Kolivan grinned and kissed Antok as deeply as he could while still half-asleep.

“Thank you. God, I love you so much. You’re too good to me.” Kolivan said. Antok smiled and kissed the scar that went down the right side of Kolivan’s face. He tried to kiss that area as much as possible because he thought it just made Kolivan look more beautiful.

“I’m just doing what my lovely husband deserves.” Antok said. Kolivan smiled.

“Sometimes I feel like I don’t do enough for you.” Kolivan said as he spread copious amounts of jam on a slice of toast.

“You do plenty by working so hard. Besides, I like pampering you, its my way of winding down from my day.” Antok said. Kolivan grinned and hugged Antok tightly.

“God I love you.” Kolivan said brightly. Antok leaned against Kolivan and smiled.

“So… I was looking into what it took to become a foster parent. It looks like we have to get licensed and have background checks done, which we expected. Plus, making sure our home is a safe place for a child.” Antok said. Kolivan smiled and nodded. “I was thinking we could complete the licensing together, but we shouldn’t rush through it.” He said. Kolivan nodded.

“Of course we shouldn’t rush through it. There’s probably a lot of information in it that’s really important.” Kolivan said. Antok nodded and smiled, getting up. It was a rare day that Kolivan had off from meetings and paperwork, and Antok wanted his husband to relax. He went out into the living room and froze when he saw their mischievous cat, Kova, next to a full glass of water.

“Kova, no-!” Antok shouted, just as the cat shoved the glass off of the table and onto the floor. But, he could hear Kolivan laughing from down the hall, and that made it worth it although he had to mop up the spilled water.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith arrives at the Marmora household.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If any of you have a suggestion for a chapter of this please leave them below.

The next several weeks were filled with paperwork for licensing, background checks, home visits, hours of training, and preparing the home for a potential child.

Antok and Kolivan worked on the licensing between business meetings and training sessions with clients. They often worked late in the night when their work schedules didn’t allow them to work during the day, but they always made sure to go to bed before it got too late in the night.

After they had gotten the licensing work done, the agency had done background checks on both of them, which both of them had cleared easily. As soon as they had been cleared, Kolivan and Antok started the required hours of training to be a foster parent, and a representative from the agency had come over to make sure the home was a safe place for a child.

Kolivan and Antok had long since had their penthouse safe for a child, considering how often they had their nieces and nephews over. A plus was the fact that there was a park within sight of the living room window, so it was easy to take a child over there to play. But, nonetheless, the agency made absolutely sure that the home was fit and safe for a child, and determined that if the heavy weights that Antok used were kept out of the child’s reach, everything would be fine.

After everything was done, Antok and Kolivan set up a simple room for any child that would come into their house. The room had a twin bed, a dresser, a bookshelf, and a desk. Unsure of what any individual child would be interested in, they had decided to allow the child to decorate the room as they wanted to. They had spent the day setting it up together, arguing humorously over the instructions on how to assemble the furniture.

“It says put that screw into this hole.” Antok said, picking up a nail. Kolivan frowned and shook his head.

“There’s no way! That hole is way too small for that screw.” Kolivan said.

“I’m looking at the diagram right now!” Antok said, showing the picture to Kolivan. Kolivan studied the diagram and shrugged, starting to drive the screw into the hole with a small drill that the pair owned for simple tasks such as this. 

-

It was a week after they had spent the day arguing over furniture that they were alerted that a child would be put into their home.

When Antok and Kolivan were sent the child’s file, they both sat on the couch to go over it. The child was five years old and named Keith, and he had been through five other homes but had been sent back because he was a very temperamental and confrontational child. From what Antok could gather, the child had originally been removed from his family’s home at a year and a half old because the young couple realized that they weren’t ready for children and knew there were people who were better suited to care for him. There wasn’t a lot of information aside from that.

Kolivan sighed sadly and leaned his head on his husband’s shoulder, his long braid falling over his shoulder.

“How could anyone give up a child just because they have a temper?” Kolivan asked. Antok wrapped his arm around Kolivan and gently kissed his hair.

“I have no clue. But we’ll do right by this child, I hope.” Antok said. Kolivan nodded and smiled hopefully.

“He’s supposed to arrive in the morning.” Kolivan said. “I cancelled my meetings for the day.” Antok nodded and smiled.

“I cancelled my training sessions for tomorrow. Luckily, I only have two, and they’re two of my most understanding clients.” Antok said. Kolivan nodded and got up, moving to look at the stuffed toy that they had gotten as soon as they were aware that Keith would be coming to their home. They thought it would be nice for the child to have a small present. They weren’t sure what animals Keith liked, so they had purchased a fluffy, soft stuffed hippo in a light gray.

“We should get to bed. We do not want to be exhausted in the presence of a young child.” Antok said. Kolivan laughed and nodded, remembering that Ezor had never-ending energy during the day when they were watching her, as did Lotor once he had gotten used to and warmed up to his two uncles. The same rung true with the older children they watched when they were younger.

“Lets go, honey.” Kolivan said, moving to the bathroom to brush his teeth. Antok moved to the sink next to Kolivan’s to do the same, laughing when Kolivan made the same face he always did in response to his toothpaste. Kolivan hated mint flavored things, so he always scrunched his face up while brushing his teeth, which was a very endearing trait to Antok.

Kolivan laid down under the blankets and smiled serenely, leaning his head onto Antok’s chest. Antok wrapped his arms around his husband and smiled, reaching over to turn off their lamp, plunging the room into darkness.

-

Like nearly every other day, Kolivan was awoken with a gentle hand doing his hair and the scent of a delicious breakfast enticing him to open his eyes.

“Keith should be here in about an hour. Go ahead and eat, honey.” Antok said, biting into his own breakfast sandwich that he had made. Kolivan smiled and ate his own breakfast sandwich before getting up to get dressed.

Antok went out into the living room, taking Kova down from the kitchen counter.

“Oh, no, bad kitty! You know you’re not allowed on the counters, that’s where we cook!” Antok said, setting Kova down on the ground and wiping the counters clean of cat hair. Kova waited patiently until Antok walked away before jumping back up onto the counter. Antok turned around and groaned quietly when he saw his mischievous cat sitting on the counter like she owned the place.

Kolivan found himself laughing as he walked out of the bedroom with their plates, rinsing them before putting them in the dishwasher. He was dressed in a pair of jeans and a plain color t-shirt, his hair braided in the same way he always wore it.

“Koli, I think our cat hates me.” Antok said. Kolivan smiled and kissed Antok’s cheek.

“No, you’ve just never owned a cat. That’s how cats act.” Kolivan said. He jumped when he heard a knocking sound from the door. A quick look through the peephole revealed a woman and a small child. He opened and door and smiled, and the woman held out her hand.

“Hello, sir. Are you Mr. Marmora?” She asked politely. Kolivan took her hand and shook it firmly.

“Indeed I am.” He said. The woman smiled.

“My name is Allura, I’m Keith’s social worker. And this is Keith.” She said. The child in question was hiding partially behind Allura’s leg. What Kolivan assumed were his belongings were held in a simple garbage bag.

“Hello, Keith. My name is Kolivan.” He said. Allura smiled and urged Keith out from behind her leg.

“You will be living with Mr. Marmora and his husband, Keith.” She said. “Go on, go ahead and go inside.” She said gently, and Kolivan moved aside to let Keith in. “As I’m sure you know, Mr. Marmora, I will visit once a month to check on Keith. Should any signs of neglect or abuse be found, he will be removed from the home immediately.” She reminded. Kolivan smiled and nodded.

“Of course, I understand. Keith will be well taken care of here.” Kolivan said. Allura smiled and nodded.

“Alright. Well, I’ll leave Keith to settle in. You have the agency’s phone number if anything comes up.” She said, leaving. Kolivan closed the door and looked at the small child, who was fiddling with the hem of his shirt, looking lost in his new environment.

“Hello, Keith. I am Kolivan, and my husband, the man over on the couch, is Antok.” Kolivan said. Antok smiled and got up from his place on the couch.

“Let’s go see your new room, Keith. You can unpack and settle in.” Antok said, leading Keith down the hallway and into his new bedroom. “We didn’t know what you would like, so you can decorate it however you want.” He said. Keith looked around, and Antok was glad to see a ghost of a smile on his face.

“Thank you.” Keith said quietly, dragging his things over to the dresser. Antok went over to help him when he saw how Keith struggled to reach the top drawer.

“You’re welcome, Keith, but you don’t need to thank us for a room.” Antok said gently, helping the child undo the knot that was holding the garbage bag closed. Soon enough, Kolivan joined them in the bedroom with the blanket that they had been washing for the bed.

Antok was disturbed to find that all that Keith had were clothes. Since he was a young child, Antok expected at least a few toys, but Keith didn’t seem to have anything. Antok was relieved that he and Kolivan had toys from the other children in their family that Keith could play with until they got him toys of his own.

“Well, Keith, what type of things do you like to eat?” He asked quietly. Keith shrugged as he carefully folded his clothing after unpacking them. He was much slower than Antok and Kolivan were due to his smaller size and slightly less coordinated body, but he got it done rather well. Kolivan got up and went to grab the stuffed hippo, offering it to Keith.

“We thought you might like a small present. We weren’t sure what type of animal you liked, though.” Kolivan said. Keith looked over and reached out timidly, looking at Kolivan as though expecting the man to do something. Kolivan nodded and offered the toy again. “Its for you, go ahead.” He said.

Keith took the toy and held it against his chest, a small smile on his face as he felt how soft it was. “Thank you.” He said quietly.

“You’re welcome, Keith.” Kolivan said. Keith looked between Kolivan and Antok, his gaze lingering on the scars on their faces. The pair understood; it was very likely that Keith had never seen anyone with scars like that before, it was natural that he might stare. Keith watched as Antok put his clothes away, silent.

“Well, I’m going to go start on lunch. Any requests, Keith?” Antok asked. Keith shrugged again and avoided eye contact. “Alright, that’s okay. How does some grilled cheese and tomato soup sound?” He asked. He knew that was a meal that the children he knew loved.

“Okay.” Keith said simply, his tone indecipherable. Antok nodded and left the room, heading to the kitchen. Keith’s eyes wandered into the hallway and his eyes widened a fraction. “There’s a cat.” He said before he could stop himself. Kolivan looked over and laughed when he saw Kova lingering in the doorway of the bedroom.

“Yeah, that’s our cat. Her name is Kova. She’s gentle, but don’t let her near any glasses of water.” Kolivan said. Keith giggled a bit when Kova jumped up onto the bed like she owned the place. Which, considering how spoiled she was, she probably did think she owned the place. “Do you wanna stay here and settle in or come with me to wait for lunch?” Keith shrugged once again, hugging his new hippo close to him. “Well, why don’t you come with me so I can show you where everything is?” Kolivan suggested, getting up and waiting for the child to follow.

From the hallway, Kolivan could hear Antok whistling as he cooked, and the scent of tomato soup. It made Kolivan smile as he looked down at Keith, who seemed to be attracted to the scent.

“Well, the room at the end of the hall is mine and Antok’s. If you need anything during the night, don’t hesitate to come in and wake one or both of us up. The bathroom is across from your room. Keith nodded as Kolivan pointed out the different rooms. Keith followed him into the living room, his eyes being drawn to the bin of toys kept in the corner of the room. “You’re welcome to play with those, if you want.” Kolivan said. Keith stood silent where he was, still looking lost. Kolivan didn’t blame him; he was being told a bunch of new information in a new environment, after all.

Keith looked back at the toys hesitantly. “I can play with them?” he clarified. Kolivan smiled and nodded, which prompted Keith to shuffle over to the bin and look inside. He pulled out a few toy cars and examined them before putting them back into the bin and pulling out some toy animals. He looked back and Kolivan once again before setting them on the floor and sitting down himself.

“What sort of shows do you like to watch, Keith?” Kolivan asked. Keith shrugged once again. “Well, how about…” Kolivan wracked his brain to remember what sort of shows Lotor liked. “how about Bubble Guppies?” He suggested. Keith nodded and smiled lightly as Kolivan turned on the show in question.

It wasn't long until Antok announced that lunch was ready. Keith gave no fuss about giving up watching TV and playing to go to the table, climbing up into a chair as a plate with a grilled cheese sandwich and a bowl of tomato soup was placed in front of him. He began to eat quietly, making an effort to avoid making a mess. Nonetheless, drops of soup and crumbs from the sandwich dropped onto the table.

“Sorry.” Keith said when he realized this fact after the meal, when the dishes were being cleared up. Antok smiled and began wiping the table clean as Kolivan started doing the dishes.

“No worries, Keith. It can be cleaned.” He said. Keith looked confused for a moment, but he nodded and trotted over to Kolivan’s place at the kitchen sink.

“Can I help?” he asked. Kolivan looked over and thought for a moment.

“You don't need to do the dishes, Keith. You can go play.” Kolivan said. Keith only looked more confused.

“I need to help!” Keith insisted.

“Well, how about this: I do the dishes, but you can put them in the dishwasher.” Kolivan suggested. Keith nodded, figuring that Kolivan wouldn't let him rinse the dishes.

Antok walked into the kitchen to the sight of Kolivan doing the dishes and handing them to Keith, who would carefully place them in the dishwasher. Keith looked over when he heard him enter before going back to what he was doing.

“Hey, Keith, why don't you go play?” Antok suggested, confused as to why Keith was helping with dishes. He got even more confused when Keith adamantly shook his head.

“He insisted on helping.” Kolivan explained. Only after the last dish was placed in the dishwasher did Keith give in and go play with the animals he had left in the living room, still kind of hesitant, but not as severely as he was when he first arrived. Antok smiled and turned on the TV once again for him.

“How do you feel about school, Keith?” Antok asked curiously. Keith shrugged and thought for a moment.

“I like it.” He said vaguely. Antok sighed quietly and looked out the window. Upon seeing a sunny day outside, he turned back to Keith.

“Do you wanna go play at the nearby park?” Antok asked. Keith looked over and got up, looking out the window at the park. After a few moments, Keith looked up at Antok hopefully.

“Can we go play?” He asked hopefully. Antok smiled and nodded.

“Of course we can! Its a nice day outside, I see no reason why we can’t go down to the park. Go ahead and go get your shoes, okay?” Antok said, and Keith ran into his bedroom excitedly. He came back out a few seconds later with his shoes on and tied loosely. “Tighten up your shoelaces a little bit, kiddo.” Antok said, and Keith looked down at his shoes curiously before sitting down to tighten them. Kolivan had joined Antok by the door, smiling when Keith came over, jumping on the balls of his feet because he was so excited.

Kolivan took Keith’s hand and led him to the elevator in the hallway of their building, leading him down the street to the park once they reached the ground floor. Keith skipped next to him, taking in the sights of the neighborhood around them as they walked.

Once they reached the park, Kolivan let go on Keith’s hand and let him run off. There were a few other kids in the park, and Kolivan hoped that Keith could make a few friends that lived nearby. They already intended to introduce him to their nieces and nephews, and what would be aunts and uncles to the child after Keith had completely settled in and had gotten used to the home.

Kolivan sat down with Antok on a bench, looking around at the other parents with their children. He looked back at Keith and smiled when he saw him interacting with a boy about his age.

-

Keith figured that the nest thing he could do was try to make friends. He ran up to the first child that looked to be about his age.

“Can I play with you?” He asked the boy. The boy looked over and shook his head.

“No!” The boy said from where he was playing with a few toys that presumably belonged to him. “These are mine!” He said, pushing Keith. The push wasn’t hard enough for Keith to fall usually, but it had been unexpected, so he fell. He sniffled as tears came to his eyes. He felt a reassuring hand on his back, and a quick look behind him revealed Antok looking at his worriedly, crouched next to him.

“Are you okay, kiddo?” He asked. Keith sniffled and nodded, more surprised than hurt as he cried. Antok nodded sympathetically and rubbed Keith’s back. Soon enough, he could feel Kolivan coming up to him as well, ruffling his hair. Why were these people being so nice to him? The other families hadn’t been this caring within the first week, and some of them never were very caring, but he had barely been in their lives for a few hours. 

 

“James Griffin! What have I told you about sharing?” A woman, presumably the boy’s mother, came up to the boy. James looked up at his mother.

“That I gotta share because it’s nice?” He asked. The woman nodded.

“Yes, and what you did was very mean. You could have hurt that boy.” The woman said. James looked over at Keith guiltily.

“Sorry.” He said, and Keith could tell he was being as genuine as a five year old could possibly be.

“Its okay.” Keith said, getting up from his spot and looking surprised when another boy ran up to him.

“Hi! I’m Lance! Wanna be friends?” He asked enthusiastically. Keith brightened up and nodded happily.

“Yeah! I’m Keith!” He said. Lance grinned and grabbed Keith’s wrist.

“Come play with me and my bestest friend, Hunk!” He said. Keith nodded and looked back at James for a moment, thinking that he looked rather lonely.

“Can James come too?” Keith asked. Lance looked over at James and thought for a moment before nodding and grabbing James’ hand as well to pull them over to where Hunk was.

Kolivan and Antok got up from their positions and went back to their bench, keeping an eye on the four children. Lance seemed to be the most outgoing of the group, and Hunk seemed extremely shy in contrast. James seemed to be warming up to Keith and the other children, if slowly. Keith seemed happy, though, and that’s all that really mattered.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith meets his extended family.

Kolivan and Antok determined that Keith would most likely be settled enough to be introduced to his extended family after about a week.

They had set it up with Thace and Ulaz for them to bring their three children over for dinner that saturday, and arranged the same thing with Krolia and Tex for that Sunday. A few days before, Kolivan gently sat Keith down on the couch after a dinner of chicken tenders and a surprising discovery that Keith actually liked vegetables.

“Keith, Antok and I arranged for you to meet your new cousins and uncles and aunt this weekend. But, we wanted to know if you think you’d be ready for it? Say what you truly think, not what you think we want to hear.” Kolivan said. Keith thought for a moment.

“I’ll be ready.” Keith said. Antok smiled and ruffled Keith’s hair.

“Alrighty, kiddo. Now why don’t you tell Kolivan what you did at school today?” Antok said. Keith’s face lit up with excitement as he began to tell Kolivan tales of his adventures in kindergarten.

The boy had started school that Monday at a nearby elementary school. Like the park, it wasn’t a long walk from their building, so Antok walked Keith to and from school every day, scheduling his clients’ appointments so he could end his day early enough to pick Keith up. Despite this, Keith still spent time in the school’s after school child care program for an hour and a half or so every day. He didn’t mind, he actually had a lot of fun.

Because Kolivan got home just in time for dinner every day, Keith would always tell Kolivan about his day after dinner, and Kolivan always listened carefully and interjected the occasional “Really?” and “wow, that’s cool, buddy!” to show Keith that he was still listening. They fell into this routine easily.

Keith had been ecstatic when he found that he was in the same class as his new friends from the park, and a majority of his stories seemed to involve them in some way, with the occasional new name. So far, Kolivan had been told of stories of Keith’s new group of friends, which had expanded to include some new names such as Ryan, Ina, and Nadia, as well as a preschooler named Katie who preferred to be called Pidge.

Today, the main adventure was about how the class pet, a rabbit, had escaped its cage and scared everyone by running around. It must have been chaos, having twenty-five or so terrified five-year-olds with a rabbit running around in the classroom. Keith also told of new words he learned how to spell, simple math he had learned, and stories that the teacher read to them.

“Sounds like you had an exciting day, buddy.” Kolivan said when Keith was finished with his story. Keith nodded and smiled, leaning into Kolivan's side as Antok put on a movie for them all to watch until it was time for Keith to take a bath and go to bed.

-

That Saturday brought a lot of excitement from newfound family of three. Kolivan had taken Keith to the store with him to get some last-minute ingredients for dinner while Antok got through with his appointments for the day.

Keith loved going to the store with Kolivan. It was a lot of fun because Kolivan always let him have control over the paper with the list on it, and Keith would dutifully, if messily, cross out the things they got like it was most important job in the world. 

Once they had gotten home, Kolivan sent Keith off to play in the living room while he and Antok started dinner.

Keith was a quiet kid, for the most part. He stayed out of the way, but he did enjoy having one of them play with him. He would never ask, though, but he would always accept of one of them offered to play with him.

From the kitchen, Antok and Kolivan could hear Keith’s soft murmurings as he played, and the occasional laugh from the child due to the cartoon that was playing on the TV. It told the pair that Keith was okay for the time being, and that he wasn’t getting into any trouble. They had learned a long time ago that a quiet child was a child who was getting into something or doing something they shouldn’t.

-

Even later on in the day saw Keith nearly jumping out of his skin in surprise when the doorbell rang. However, the child giggled at his own startled response as Antok got up to answer the door.

“Hey, bro, come on in!” Antok said, stepping inside to let Thace and his family in. Thace scanned the room and smiled when he saw Keith sitting on the couch.

“Hello, little one. You must be Keith.” Thace said, his voice inviting. Keith nodded shyly. “I am your uncle Thace, and this is your uncle Ulaz.” He said, gesturing to his husband. Ulaz looked over and smiled brightly.

“Hello, Keith.” He said softly. “As Thace told you, I am your uncle Ulaz.” He said. Sendak looked over and sighed when Lotor tugged him over to play.

“Alright, alright! You don’t gotta be so insistent, Lo.” Sendak said, following the preschooler over to the box of toys in the living room. Ulaz smiled and gently knelt down to Lotor’s level.

“Hey, buddy. Keith is a foster kid just like you are, and I bet he’d really like a friend like you, wouldn’t you think? Why don’t you include him in your game?” He suggested. Lotor looked up at Ulaz with his big blue eyes and nodded with a bright smile. He ran over to Keith.

“I’m Lotor! Wanna come play?” He asked. Keith looked over at Kolivan and Antok, nodding after he received two encouraging nods. “Yay!” Lotor exclaimed, pulling Keith over to the box of toys. Sendak laughed.

“I don’t think Keith likes to be dragged like that, bub.” He said. “I’m Sendak, by the way.” He told Keith. Keith nodded and looked lost when Lotor started pulling out toys. “What’s the matter?” Sendak asked Keith at his lost look.

The four adults watched as the eldest child interacted with the two youngest. Sendak had always been a very protective and caring brother to his two siblings, so it was no surprise that he was acting the same way with Keith, taking him under his wing. Sendak went to go help set the table for dinner when Antok asked him to

“Are you a foster too?” Lotor asked as he and Keith played on the ground. Keith nodded silently. “Uncle Koli and Uncle ‘Tok are super duper nice!” Lotor said brightly. Keith brightened up.

“Yeah! They’re super nice!” He agreed brightly. Lotor smiled and looked over at Regris.

“Reg! Come play with us!” He called. Regris looked over and sighed in reluctant agreement, sitting down on the floor with the youngest children.

“Do you like it here with uncle Antok and uncle Kolivan?” He asked. Keith nodded and smiled.

“Yeah! They’re super nice, but they don’t let me do much to help.” He said.

“Daddy and Papa always say that I can’t ‘cause they wanna keep me safe.” Lotor said. Keith looked confused.

“But all the other families made me do dishes and stuff.” Keith said, looking confused. Antok frowned and gently put a hand on Keith’s head.

“You are too young to be doing chores like that all on your own. We are okay if you want to help a little bit like you do by putting the dishes in the dishwasher, but you shouldn’t feel like you have to.” Antok said, gently ruffling Keith’s hair. Keith looked up at Antok and smiled shyly. “Now come on, dinner is on the table.” He said, laughing when Keith and Lotor ran to the dining room with Regris following at a slower pace.

Antok and Kolivan had made food that would appeal to all of the members of the family. Dinner was lively, with the four children talking and laughing. Keith and Lotor seemed to be getting along quite well, and Kolivan thought part of that had to do with the fact that Lotor was a foster child as well. 

After dinner and a little bit of conversation, Thace and Ulaz along with their children bid goodbye to Kolivan, Antok, and Keith. Ulaz had an early shift the next morning, so he had to get as much sleep as he could. Ulaz ruffled Keith’s hair and smiled at Antok and Kolivan.

“Call if you ever need some medical advice.” He said. While he wasn’t specifically trained in pediatric medicine, he knew enough to be able to identify simple things.

“Oh, we will, Ulaz. Thank you.” Antok said. Ulaz nodded with a smile.

“Of course.” Ulaz said, ushering Lotor out the door and to the elevator to go to the car.

-

The next day saw Keith helping Antok and Kolivan with dinner in the afternoon. He wasn’t allowed near the knives or other such sharp objects, nor the stove or oven when they were on, but he helped by gathering ingredients and adding them after his guardians measured them out. He was clearly having fun with this family bonding time, laughing happily as he helped cook.

Keith quickly caught onto the measurements, and soon enough he could measure out the correct amount on his own. He was standing on a red step-stool so he had a better view and reach of the counter, and he was soon covered in the ingredients and spices. Looking over once dinner was in the oven, Kolivan laughed.

“Go and change your clothes, buddy.” Kolivan said, looking at the flour-speckled shirt and jeans. Keith looked down at his clothing.

“Sorry.” He said quietly. Kolivan smiled and gently ran his fingers through Keith’s hair.

“Hey, don’t apologize. Being dirty just means you’re having fun! Besides, its not like it can’t be washed.” Kolivan said. Keith brightened up and nodded, trotting off to his bedroom and soon emerging once again in a different set of clothing and a smile.

Every member of the family jumped in surprise when they heard the doorbell ring. Kolivan went over and opened it, grinning and hugging his sister. Krolia grinned at her little brother.

“Hey, Kolivan! I’ve missed you, you’ve been so busy lately!” She said. Kolivan nodded and smiled sheepishly.

“Well, not busy, per say. I admit that I have a habit of overworking when there is no reason to.” He said. Krolia frowned playfully.

“Well, I’m gonna have to stop you, aren’t I?” She asked as she walked into the house with her family. She greeted Antok as well, and her husband greeted them both before noticing Keith keeping out of the way.

“Howdy there, fella.” He greeted with a kind, inviting smile. Keith looked over and fidgeted shyly, looking back down at his feet. “A shy one, ain’t you? That’s okay. I’m your uncle Tex, what’s your name?” He asked.

“Keith.” The child answered shyly. Tex nodded and smiled.

“Well, nice to meet ya, Keith.” He said. Krolia walked over to where Tex was.

“Hey, Keith. I’m your aunt Krolia.” She said. Keith waved and clung tightly to his stuffed hippo. “That’s a cute little hippo you got there. Does it have a name?” She asked.

“Hippo.” Keith answered, and Krolia had to remind herself that children really weren’t that creative with names. After all, Ezor’s precious stuffed pony was named “Tim” courtesy of her two year old self. 

“That’s a nice name.” Krolia said. Keith nodded and played with one of the arms of the hippo.

Kolivan and Antok went to the kitchen to finish up dinner, keeping an eye on Keith’s interactions with his extended family.

“Do you like it here, Keith?” Tex asked. Keith nodded and grinned.

“Yeah! Kolivan and Antok are super nice!” He said. Tex nodded in agreement.

“That they are. Those girls over there are my daughters. Acxa is seven and Ezor is your age, five. I’m sure they wouldn’t mind if you played with them.” Tex said. Keith looked over and smiled, going over to them.

“Can I play with you?” He asked. Ezor looked over and nodded happily, offering some of the toys to him.

“Yeah! I’m Ezor!” She said excitedly.

“I’m Keith!” Keith said brightly, taking the offered toys. Soon enough, the three children were running around the living room. Antok walked in and smiled.

“Settle down, kids. Dinner’s gonna be ready in a few minutes.” He said. Acxa looked over and smiled, sitting down on the couch. Tex smiled as Ezor and Keith followed suit, quieting down before dinner. It wasn’t long before Kolivan was calling them into the dining room for dinner.

Dinner was lively and happy, given that Acxa and Ezor were rather talkative and Tex was a great conversationalist that got along with Kolivan and Antok well. Keith was quiet as he ate, but he shyly answered questions if they were asked.

“So, Keith, do you have fun at school?” Tex asked. Keith perked up and nodded.

“Yeah! I have lots and lots of friends, and I really like reading!” Keith said. Tex nodded.

“What sorts of books do you like to read?” Krolia asked curiously.

“I can’t read that well, but I really like all sorts of books!” Keith said excitedly. Krolia nodded and smiled.

“I like Pinkalicious!” Ezor exclaimed from her place.

“Ezor, sweetie, don’t talk with your mouth full.” Krolia said. Ezor quickly swallowed her food.

“Sorry mommy.” She said. “I forgot.” Krolia nodded and pulled her into a side hug for a moment. Kolivan smiled and gave Keith a second helping of corn when he asked for it.

“So, Krolia, how’s your martial arts business coming along?” He asked. Krolia smiled widely, quickly swallowing her food before answering.

“Its going great! I have a lot of kids signed up for different classes, as well as a lot of adults for my adult classes!” She said brightly.

“That’s great!” Kolivan said. When dinner was done, Tex helped with the dishes despite Kolivan insisting that he didn’t have to.

Krolia and her family left about forty-five minutes after dinner. Acxa and Ezor had school the next day, and Krolia wanted them to get to bed early. Keith bid his two new friends goodbye when they left, doing the same with Krolia and Tex.

-

Not much later, Keith was sent to take a bath. He preferred to bathe on his own, but he was always splashing so it was easy to hear if something was wrong, so Kolivan and Antok didn’t mind. 

After Keith emerged, clad in soft pajamas, he climbed up into bed his bed. Antok came in and set down at the edge of the bed. Every night, either Antok or Kolivan would read to him before bed.

“Do you wanna pick a book or should I?” Antok asked. Keith thought for a moment.

“Uh… You pick!” Keith said. Antok nodded and got up, going over to the bookshelf and skimming through the books.

“How about Goodnight Moon?” He asked. Keith nodded and scooted over so that Antok had room to sit down, cuddling with his hippo.

As Antok read the book, Keith got progressively more sleepy. He wasn’t asleep at the end on the book, but he was fairly close. He would probably fall asleep after Kolivan bid him goodnight once Antok was done with the book.

“Goodnight, kiddo.” Antok said as he set the book back on the shelf.

“G’night, Antok.” Keith said. Antok smiled and left the room, and Kolivan entered soon after.

“Goodnight, buddy.” Kolivan said.

“G’night Kolivan.” Keith said sleepily, rubbing at his eyes.

“Do you want me to keep a light on in the hallway?” Kolivan asked. Keith nodded shyly; he was afraid of the dark, so Kolivan and Antok left a light on in the hallway just in case Keith needed to come get them or go to the bathroom, just so he wouldn’t be scared.

Kolivan smiled and closed the door so there was a small crack, the light from the hallway spilling in. It was a small action, but it was one that made Keith feel much more safe and at home.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith gets into a fight at school.

“Is this Mr. Marmora?” A voice asked when Kolivan answered his phone. It had the number of Keith's elementary school as the caller ID, so Kolivan answered it quickly.

“Yes it is.” Kolivan answered, leaning back in his chair.

“Well, we have Keith in the office here. He got into a fight with another child, and because that behavior is unacceptable here, we have to suspend him for three days. Would it be possible for you to come pick him up?” The voice asked.

“Fight? What do you mean he got into a fight?” Kolivan asked incredulously.

“Just that. He punched another student and started a fight.” The voice explained, and Kolivan presumed it was an administrator from Keith's school.

“Alright. I'll be there to pick him up.” Kolivan said, hanging up. He made his way out of the office and to his car, driving to the elementary school.

“I'm here to pick up Keith Kogane.” Kolivan said to the lady sitting in the office.

“Alright! Go ahead and sign him out, and he'll be here soon.” The lady said, just as Keith emerged. He was holding his lunchbox and his backpack and looked rather forlorn, holding an ice pack to his jaw from where Kolivan assumed the other child had hit him.

“Come on, Keith.” Kolivan said, walking with the child and watching to make sure he got into the car. “Do you want to explain why you started a fight?” Kolivan asked.

“I didn't start it.” Keith protested weakly, his eyes shiny with tears.

“According to your school, you threw the first punch, so you did start the fight.” Kolivan said calmly as they pulled up to their building and walked up to their penthouse.

“But I didn't start it!” Keith insisted. Kolivan sighed.

“Alright. Maybe you two were arguing, but you were the one who turned it physical. Want to explain why?” Kolivan tried. Keith shrugged a bit and poured out the ice pack into the sink, seeing as it was now mostly water.

“No.” Keith said. Kolivan nodded.

“Alright. Well, I'm disappointed in you for starting a fight, and I'm sure Antok will be too when he gets home. You're grounded for the three days you are suspended. No TV, you will stay in your room and read if you are bored.” Kolivan said simply. Keith nodded, although he didn't seem happy about it. He made his way to his room just as Kolivan started lunch for the two of them.

-

Half an hour later saw Kolivan going to get Keith from his room for lunch. As he walked to the door, however, he was surprised to hear the sound of crying.

“Keith? Are you alright?” Kolivan asked gently, knocking a few times before opening the door. He sat down next to the crying child, unsurprised when the child covered his head with the blanket. “It must be hard to breathe under there, Keith.” Kolivan said, gently peeling back the blanket.

“Please don't g-give me back!” Keith wailed miserably, his breathing coming in short little gasps that resulted in a fit of coughing for the child.

“Give you back? Now where'd you get that idea?” Kolivan asked, pulling Keith into his lap. Keith’s breath hitched with another few sobs.

“C-cuz everyone else did when they said I d-disappointed them!” Keith tearfully explained. Kolivan made a small, sad noise and held the child securely in his arms.

“Keith, Antok and I wouldn't think for a second about giving you back. I promise, nothing like this will get us to give you back.” Kolivan reassured. Keith sniffled and wiped at his eyes.

“P-promise?” He questioned.

“Promise.” Kolivan agreed readily. “But, whenever you're ready, I would like to know why you punched another child.” Kolivan said. Keith nodded and leaned against Kolivan's chest in a hesitant way, as though this comforting moment could stop at any second.

“They were pickin’ on me and saying that no one wanted me cause I'm a foster.” Keith explained. Kolivan frowned.

“Have they been doing this a lot, Keith?” He asked worriedly. Keith tensed before nodding meekly.

“Yeah.” Keith said.

“Oh, buddy. You are so very wanted here, I promise. Don't you ever let things like that get under your skin because as long as you’re here, you are wanted.” Kolivan reassured. Keith sniffed and nodded, a teary smile making it's way onto his face.

“‘Kay.” Keith said. Kolivan smiled gently.

“You're still grounded, because you did not have to hurt anyone. You should have told your teacher, they can help you. They're there to help you!” Kolivan said. Keith nodded.

“Okay. I'm sorry.” Keith said.

“I know, buddy. Now, let's go get some lunch, huh?” Kokivan suggested. Keith nodded and followed Kolivan to the dining room, climbing up onto his usual chair.

“Kolivan?” He asked shyly.

“Yeah?” Kolivan asked as he set plates of food on the table for them both.

“Can I still have my hippo if I'm grounded?” Keith asked.

“Of course! Your hippo is your friend, we wouldn't take it away from you.” He reassured. Keith relaxed and nodded.

“Will you still keep the light on in the hallway?” He questioned shyly.

“Yeah, buddy, of course we will. Why did you think we wouldn't?” Kolivan asked.

“Cause I was bad.” Keith said, as though it were obvious. Kolivan frowned.

“Oh, buddy, no. We wouldn't want you to be scared, that's why we keep the light on. It wouldn't do any good to scare the bejeezus out of you by not turning on the hall light, that's just cruel.” Kolivan said. Keith nodded and smiled brightly as he ate, relaxed. He still kept a tight hold on his hippo, as though expecting Kolivan to take it away despite saying he wouldn't.

-

Antok came home a few hours later, confused at the sight of his husband and a very tearful child sitting on the couch.

Keith hadn't fully stopped crying, and he was currently laying with his head on Kolivan's lap. Kolivan hadn't turned on the TV, keeping with Keith's punishment of no TV for the three days he was suspended.

“Why are you guys home so early?” He asked. Keith seemed to shy away and hide his face in Kolivan's leg.

“Keith got suspended for three days for getting into a fight.” Kolivan explained.

“A fight? Why would he get into a fight?” Antok asked.

“They were pickin’ on me.” Keith despaired. Antok made a noise of sympathy and gently rubbed Keith's back.

“Oh, kiddo. While I'm proud that you stood up for yourself, you shouldn't get into a fight. Telling your teacher will do much more.” Antok said. Keith glanced up at him.

“I know.” Keith said.

“I'm guessing he's grounded?” Antok asked Kolivan. His husband nodded and patted Keith's back, letting the tearful child take in all the comfort he needed.

“He was afraid we were going to send him back over this.” Kolivan explained.

“Well we wouldn't.” Antok reassured. Keith relaxed and smiled, wiping some of the tears away.

“What are we going to do? I have meetings and I know you have clients.” Kolivan said.

“Easy. We send him to Thace for the day. He works from home anyway, I'm sure he wouldn't mind a little company.” Antok said. Keith looked up.

“I can stay here by myself!” He protested.

“No you can't. You're just a kiddo, you're too young to take care of yourself alone all day.” Kolivan said. Keith frowned, as though in confusion.

“Then why did they always leave me home alone?” Keith questioned.

“Who's ‘they’, kiddo?” Antok asked.

“Some of the other families I lived with.” Keith said. Kolivan and Antok shared a concerned look.

“Keith, have you told Allura about that?” Kolivan asked. Keith shook his head.

“I thought it was normal.” Keith said.

“Okay, buddy. It is not normal at all, and they are very bad people for leaving you home alone so young. Hey, can you promise me that you'll tell Allura when she comes to make sure you're okay next week?” Antok said. Keith nodded shyly, a watery giggle leaving him when Antok ruffled his hair.

“I promise.” Keith said.

“That's a good kiddo. You want me to read to you?” Antok asked. Keith nodded and smiled, jumping up when Antok went to grab a book from Keith's bookshelf.

Keith waited patiently until Antok returned with a book, hesitantly crawling into his lap and relaxing when the man didn't tell him off for it.

Antok read the book at a steady pace, giving Keith time to study the pictures of give a comment of his own about the story. Keith seemed to be almost completely calmed down by the time Antok got up to start dinner.

-

Kolivan was awoken from his sleep much earlier than he usually would have been. He usually woke up as a response to Antok getting out of bed at around 5:30, but he would go right back to sleep until he had to leave.

When he cracked his eyes open, he could make out a sliver of light pouring through the cracked open door, and a small silhouette of a shadow peeking through.

“Keith…?” Kolivan called softly. He could see the figure jump, as though in surprise, and open the door wider. Keith's face was tear-streaked when he peeked in fully, clutching his hippo like his life depended on it.

“Kolivan?” Keith's voice is soft, little more than a whisper in the still night. Kolivan sat up and got out of bed, kneeling down to Keith's height.

“Hey, what are you doing awake, buddy? It's way too early for you to be awake.” Kolivan said softly.

“I had a bad dream.” Keith admitted after a few moments, staring pointedly at anywhere but Kolivan. Kolivan frowned.

“Well, that's not good. Do you wanna tell me what it was about?” He asked the child. Keith shook his head and wiped at his eyes roughly, wincing at the already raw skin was irritated more by his rough handling.

“No.” Keith said. Kolivan nodded in understanding and scooped the child up into his arms with ease.

“Okay, that's okay. Do you wanna lay in here for tonight? Antok and I can keep you safe.” Kolivan said. Keith thought for a moment, furrowing his eyebrows.

“Can I?” He asked hopefully. Kolivan nodded and took Keith into the adjoining bathroom, getting a rag wet with cool water before gently dabbing the child's red, raw eyes. Keith made a noise that might have been relief from the sting, if Kolivan guessed correctly.

“Of course you can stay with us for the night, buddy. You're always welcome to if you get scared or anything.” Kolivan said. He helped Keith down from the counter and took him to bed. Antok stirred at the newfound weight and cracked an eye open.

“Is someone staying with us tonight?” He asked. Keith laid down between them and relaxed, curling up and hugging his hippo tightly.

“He had a bad dream.” Kolivan said as an explanation as he got into bed.

“Oh, no! Do you wanna tell us about it?” Antok asked Keith gently. Keith shook his head and laid his head on the pillow as Kolivan turned out the lamp. Antok draped the blanket over the three of them and smiled, dropping the subject in favor of letting Keith sleep.

It didn’t take long for Keith to fall asleep, warm and secure between his two guardians. He clung hard to his hippo, silent as he slept. Antok was the next to drop off to sleep, as he had always easily fallen asleep.

Before Kolivan fell asleep, he observed his small family with a smile. He gently rubbed Kova’s ears from where the cat was sleeping on her cat tower before closing his eyes to sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith spends the day with Thace and Ulaz.

The next morning, Keith was awoken early to have breakfast and get dressed. Like always, Keith had some overly sugary cereal with an overly excited mascot on the box and bright colors that would encourage any kid to beg for it. Antok would never understand how kids got so excited about cereal, of all things, but he had long since learned not to question it.

Antok sent Keith to go get dressed, and the child came out in a red t-shirt and a pair of black shorts, carrying his hippo under one arm.

“Do you want to take Hippo with you?” Antok asked. Keith nodded and toed the carpet gently. It was early for the child, and he was still extremely tired, so it made sense to Antok that he wouldn’t be too talkative. Antok nodded and grabbed Keith’s shoes from the shelf by the doo, handing them to the child to put on.

While Keith was busy putting on his sneakers, Antok busy making sure that there wasn’t anything Keith needed to take with him. He knew that Thace was always stocked with the basics to care for kids, and he had been since Sendak had been adopted, so there was no reason to grab children’s medicine or band-aids or anything.

“You ready to go, kiddo?” Antok asked, looking over at Keith. Keith nodded and giggled.

“That rhymed.” He said. Antok smiled fondly.

“So it did. Come on.” He said, ushering Keith out the door and down to the lobby of their building, and out to the car. Once he was sure Keith was safely in the car and buckled, he turned the car on and started off in the direction of Thace’s family home.

Thace and Ulaz lived in a nice two-story home, large enough that every child had their own room. It had a spacious yard as well. The backyard had a trampoline in it, which secretly made Keith very excited. He hoped Thace would let him jump on it later in the day, knowing that it was far too early to be doing that.

Antok pulled up by the driveway and waited for Keith to get out of the car with a smile, walking with him to the front door and knocking. Although it was rather early, Thace was always awake to make sure all the kids were getting off to school safely and to start work on his projects as soon as possible.

“Hi there!” Thace said brightly when he opened the door. Antok smiled lightly.

“Good morning, Thace. You seem rather peppy.” Antok said. Thace nodded and shrugged sheepishly.

“I’ve had a lot of coffee already this morning. Keith looks rather tired.” Thace said. Antok nodded and gently ruffled the child’s hair.

“He usually doesn’t wake up this early. He might want to sleep for little while longer.” Antok said. Thace nodded and moved aside to let Keith in. “Behave, Keith.” Antok reminded the child. Keith nodded.

“I will.” He said, hiding a yawn behind his hippo. Antok smiled and hugged the child tightly before leaving. Thace waved and closed the door, turning to Keith.

“Hey, Keith, can you do me a favor? Ulaz just got home from a long, long work day. He’s really tired, can you be quiet for a bit so he doesn’t wake up?” Thace asked. Indeed, Ulaz had just recently returned home from a 24 hour shift at the hospital, and he was exhausted. Keith nodded seriously and stood by the door, fidgeting with his hippo. Thace looked over and frowned.

“You know you can get onto the couch, right?” Thace asked as he sat down at his desk. Keith looked over and toed off his shoes, leaving them by the door before climbing onto the couch, looking around as though he were lost.

“You can play with any of the toys here, Keith.” Thace said, gesturing at the various toys scattered about the room that Lotor had left. Keith nodded and laid down under a nearby blanket, his eyes drifting closed rather quickly.

-

Thace only let Keith sleep for about an hour before waking him up. The child woke up easily and climbed down from the couch.

“Can I have something to drink?” Keith asked after a few minutes.

“Of course, Keith. We have apple juice, orange juice, or water.” Thace said, moving to the fridge and grabbing a cup from the cabinet. Keith thought a moment.

“Orange juice?” Keith asked. Thace nodded and poured a glass of orange juice, handing it to the child. “Thank you.” Keith said, sipping at his drink.

“No problem, kiddo.” Thace said easily, turning back to his work. Keith was playing with Lotor’s legos, trying to build a castle. He was also using blue legos to build a moat, and used small green bricks to represent crocodiles. He made great efforts to be quiet while Ulaz slept, humming quietly to himself as he build his castle, which was starting to look more like a brightly-colored mound.

Ulaz came downstairs at around noon, still clad in a sweatshirt that belonged to Thace and a pair of sleep pants. He rubbed his eyes tiredly and pecked his husband on the cheek in a kiss.

“Lured down by the chicken tenders, huh?” Thace asked teasingly as he pulled said food out of the oven. He checked to make sure the meat was fully cooked before giving Keith a plate with some on it.

“Mm, maybe.” Ulaz answered. He grabbed his own plate and sat at the table, smiling at Keith. “Hello, Keith. When did you get here?” He asked. Thace smiled.

“At around six this morning.” He answered for the child. Keith nodded, his mouth full of chicken and ketchup so that he couldn't answer.

“Well then. Guess I've slept through a lot, huh?” Ulaz said.

“You deserve it, working so hard for so long.” Thace said as he sat down with his own food. Ulaz smiled and shrugged, leaning his head on Thace's shoulder.

After lunch, Keith insisted on helping with the dishes. Thace tried to convince him to play, but Keith only became more insistent with every try. Finally, Thace gave in and let him help with the dishes, finding it easier than arguing with the child. Plus, it wasn't like it was hurting Keith.

Keith went into the living room to continue his castle, having to stand on his tip-toes to reach the top.

“What are you making?” Ulaz asked as he settled down onto the couch with a book.

“A castle!” Keith answered excitedly. Ulaz nodded as he opened his book, leaving Keith to his work.

Soon, Keith gave up on his castle, figuring that it was too tall for him to reach the top. He focused instead on building a city surrounding the castle. Ulaz watched in amusement over his book as Keith tried to make one house the same color all the way through, ultimately giving up when he couldn't find a piece he needed in the color he wanted.

-

It had been a few hours since lunch, and Keith hadn't talked all that much. Ulaz had noted that he didn't seem to be very talkative in general, so it didn't worry him. What also didn't worry him was the way Keith seemed to grow lethargic. After all, he had been playing all day, he was probably just tired.

What did worry him, however, was that Keith was shivering just the tiniest bit. He knew it wasn't cold; the house was kept at a constant temperature that hadn't changed since Keith had arrived, and he certainly hadn't been shivering before.

“Keith, are you cold?” Ulaz asked. Thace glanced over from his desk, a confused expression on his face. Keith froze like a deer in headlights and slowly nodded.

Keith felt Ulaz drape a blanket over his shoulders and plop him on the couch to rest for a little bit. If he was honest with himself, he had felt a bit off all day. He had chalked it up to being nervous about going to a new place for the day, but that notion had left quickly. He was freezinf, and he knew he shouldn't be.

“Uncle Ulaz?” Keith asked, startling the man from his book. Ulaz smiled kindly at him as he set the reading aside.

“Yes, Keith?” He asked.

“I don't feel too good.” Keith said quietly. Ulaz sat up straighter with a small, worried frown.

“Do you feel like you're gonna throw up?” he asked. Keith shook his head. “Okay, you just feel bad?” Ulaz asked. Keith nodded again.

“I'm cold and tired and ‘m usually not.” Keith said. Ulaz frowned and placed his hand on Keith's forehead.

“You do feel a little hot…” He said. He got up and went down the hall, returning with a thermometer in hand. “Can you stick this under your tongue for me?” He asked, gently placing it once Keith opened his mouth obediently.

“Is he okay?” Thace asked, getting up from his work to fuss over Keith.

“He's fine.” Ulaz said, just as the thermometer beeped. “He has a fever of… 100.7. Not bad, he probably just caught a cold from one of his classmates. You know how germ-ridden kids are.” He said. Thace nodded and made a sympathetic noise.

“Antok is gonna be here to pick you up really soon.” Thace said. He went to the medicine cabinet and returned with children's cold medicine.

Despite a short fuss, Keith took the medicine without a complaint. He stayed under the blanket, clinging to his hippo.

-

Just a little under an hour later, Antok knocked on the door. Ulaz smiled as he opened it, letting his brother-in-law into the house.

“Keith has a slight fever, but he'll be fine. Thace gave him some cold medicine.” Ulaz explained. Antok frowned and gently picked Keith up, careful not to disturb his sleep.

“Alright. Thank you for taking care of him.” Antok said.

“Its no problem! He's a pretty well-behaved kid.” Thace said. Antok nodded and smiled fondly at his foster son, rubbing his back.

“He is. Well, I'll see you tomorrow?” He said. Ulaz nodded.

“Absolutely! And, if Keith's still sick, we'll take care of him.” Ulaz said. Antok nodded and hugged his two family members, starting off for home.

By the time they returned home, Kolivan had as well. The other man made a noise of sympathy when Antok explained that Keith was sick, holding the child securely and draping the red blanket from his bedroom over him. Keith stirred and cracked his eyes open, rubbing them tiredly.

“Kolivan?” Keith asked.

“Yes?” Kolivan asked kindly.

“I'm sick.” He said bluntly.

“I know, Keith. You have a fever. Just sleep now, we'll be here when you wake up.” Kolivan said. Keith nodded and settled back down.

“Can I sleep with you guys tonight?” Keith asked sleepily, not wanting to leave the warmth and comfort of his two foster parents.

“Of course you can, Keith.” Antok answered. Keith relaxed and laid his head on Kolivan's shoulder until the man set him down to go start dinner.

When Kolivan was finished cooking, Keith was fast asleep, snoring through a stuffed up nose.

“Keith.” Kolivan called gently, shaking the boy's shoulder. “I have soup for you.” He said when Keith peeked his eyes open. The child sat up and followed Kolivan into the dining room, eating the bowl of soup that Kolivan had prepared for him.

“Thank you.” Keith said when he was finished, putting his bowl into the sink to be washed later.

“You're welcome, buddy. You wanna go back to sleep now?” Kolivan said, setting the boy up on the couch with a cartoon playing softly. He knew that he had said no TV for the three days he was suspended, but he figured that Keith should have some entertainment while he was getting better.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A day in the life of Keith.

Keith just wanted to be with his friends group. He wasn’t particularly concerned with being liked at school, he was perfectly happy with the friends that he had, and he was convinced that there were no better friends on the planet.

When Pidge had caught him crying because some of the other children were picking on him, she had offered to share her animal crackers, unsure of what else to do but willing to do anything to make her friend feel better.

When Keith fell and scraped his knee, Hunk had run to get their teacher, a gentle woman named Miss Romelle. Although it really didn’t hurt that bad, Hunk had fretted over Keith for a while afterwards, making sure he wasn’t in pain and willing to run to get help at the slightest sign of pain.

When Keith had first arrived at the school, shy and without friends, James, Ryan, Ina, and Nadia had moved from their normal spot to sit with him at lunch so he didn’t feel lonely. They had been very welcoming to him, and were excited to be his friend.

Lance was trying to teach him spanish because he was curious about the language that his friend’s family spoke at home. Although Keith wasn’t very good at it, and Lance wasn’t a very good teacher, they had plenty of laughs over it.

Overall, Keith thought he had the best of friends that the world could offer to him.

-

Once again, Keith found himself crying on the playground. He always seemed to be the target of other children’s teasing, and he couldn’t figure out why; was it because he was new, or because he was very shy and quiet?

His friends quickly spotted their upset companion, all of them gathering around in concern.

“Keith? Are you okay?” Lance asked worriedly. Keith shook his head and buried his face in his hands, wiping at his eyes as his shoulders shook.

“Everyone keeps picking on me!” He sobbed. Lance frowned, offended on behalf of his friend.

“Well, why don’t you tell Miss Romelle?” Lance asked curiously.

“Cause they said they’ll just do it more if I do!” Keith explained tearfully.

“Well, then I’ll tell Miss Romelle!” Nadia proclaimed. “You didn’t do it, so they can’t do it more.” She explained. Keith shook his head rapidly, looking horrified at the idea.

“No! Then they’ll do it to you!” He said.

“So? Then I’ll just tell Miss Romelle again!” Nadia said. She ran over to the gentle teacher.

“Miss Romelle!” She almost shouted. Miss Romelle looked down at the child.

“Yes, Nadia?” She asked patiently.

“The other kids are picking on Keith again!” She proclaimed. Romelle looked worried as she looked over at the crying student in question. She walked over and gently crouched down next to him.

“Hey, Keith. Nadia tells me that other children are picking on you.” She said gently. Keith nodded and wiped at his eyes again.

“I want Kolivan and Antok.” He mumbled miserably.

“I’m sorry, Keith, but we can’t send you home unless you’re sick. You’ll get to see them soon though.” Romelle said. Keith nodded.

“Who are Kolivan and Antok?” Ina asked curiously.

“My foster dads.” Keith said.

“What’s a foster dad?” Ryan asked Romelle.

“Well, its when a child lives with another family because their birth family can’t care for them for one reason or another.” Romelle explained gently. “A foster dad is just that: a dad that fosters children.” Keith nodded and smiled when Pidge offered her animal crackers to her sad friend once again. Keith laughed and took a few of the offered sweets.

“Thank you.” He said. Pidge smiled at him and sat down next to him, fiddling with a toy truck. She was a fairly quiet girl, but she could be very loud when she wanted to be heard loud and clear.

“Keith, can you tell me who’s picking on you?” Romelle asked.

“Harry and Oliver.” Keith said meekly. Romelle nodded and got up, going to the two boys in question. Keith watched as she seemed to talk to the boys before they made their way to Keith.

“We’re sorry.” They choroused, but Keith could tell that they weren’t sincere at all.

“Its okay.” He mumbled, unsure of what else to do in the situation.

-

When Antok picked Keith up later that day, he was surprised to find Keith being protectively surrounded by his friends. He knew a little bit about the children from Keith’s stories at their meetups at the park near their home.

“What’s up, kiddo?” He asked.

“The other kids made Keith cry!” James announced to Keith’s guardian. Antok frowned.

“Well, that isn’t good. Let’s head home, okay? Say bye to your friends.” Antok said, waiting patiently for Keith to say goodbye to his friends before walking home with the child.

“James is a tattletale.” Keith said.

“What, for letting me know why you’re sad? That’s just what a good friend does.” Antok explained. Keith shrugged.

“But the other kids apologized. I don’t think they were telling the truth about being sorry, though.” Keith explained.

“Yeah? Well, you tell me and Kolivan if they keep picking on you, okay? We’ll help you handle it.” Antok said as they arrived home. Kova purred as she rubbed against Keith’s legs, pulling a giggle from the upset child.

“Okay, kiddo. Let’s get you a snack and some relaxation time, huh?” Antok said, pulling out the supplies for Keith’s favorite snack, which was pretzels and peanut butter. He put a small dish of peanut butter on a plate with some pretzels, letting the child eat in the living room. Usually, Keith wasn't allowed to do that, but Antok could tell the boy was having a bad day.

It hurt his heart to know that the child he had already come to love so much was being bullied by his classmates. Keith didn't deserve it; he was a very kind, gentle kid unless someone provoked him. He hadn't gotten into another fight yet, but maybe that was because he knew Kolivan and Antok would always be on his side.

Antok knew was bullying felt like to a child so small, so desperate to fit in and be liked by others. He knew because he had been bullied for years, starting at around Keith's age. He hated that the child was going through the same type of thing, and he resolved to take it up with the school if it ever happened again.

-

Sure enough, Keith was in tears when Antok picked him up the next day.

“Oh, kiddo, what happened?” Antok asked worriedly, wiping the child's tears away. Keith took a shuddering breath and sobbed again.

“They won't stop being mean to me!” Keith lamented to his guardian, and Antok felt like crying himself at the sight of Keith so distraught.

“How so, kiddo? What'd they do today?” Antok asked gently once they were both settled in the car. Keith sniffled and stayed silent for a few moments.

“They kept making fun of me cause I don't have a family.” Keith admitted quietly. Antok thanked everything in him that they were pulling into their building's parking lot. He just wanted to reassure the child.

“Oh, Keith. You may not have your birth family with you, but you do have a family. Me and Kolivan, your uncles and aunt and your cousins all love you so much. We're so, so happy that you came to live with us, kiddo. We love and care about you like you're our own.” Antok explained gently. He was rewarded with a small, teary grin from Keith.

“Really?” He asked hopefully.

“Really.” Antok agreed. Keith calmed down a little bit by the time they got up to their home and went inside.

“I like it here.” Keith said.

“We're so glad you do, kiddo.” Antok said. “We like having you here.” Keith grinned and wiped his tears away, calming down a bit more as Antok gave him his usual snack.

-

When Kolivan arrived home, he was surprised to find that no one was in the penthouse. Usually, Antok was adding finishing touches on dinner and, recently, Keith would probably be helping him.

While he wasn't at all mad that Antok wasn't making dinner, he was confused as to why Keith wasn't home either. He assumed the pair probably went to the park or the store and lost track of time because they were having so much fun.

Kolivan began to prepare dinner for everyone for when they got home. Although he wasn't as good a cook as Antok, he could still make good food, so he settled on some spaghetti for the small family, putting water on the stove to boil and focusing on starting to cook the ground beef.

-

Kolivan looked over when the front door opened and his husband and foster son entered. Keith was laughing, seeming to be the image of glee of excitement.

“It looks like you guys had fun.” He said. Keith looked over and ran over to Kolivan, leaping into his arms.

“Kolivan!” He shouted happily. “Me and Antok went on a walk and we saw so many animals!” He announced.

“Did you now? What sort of animals did you see?” He asked.

“Birds and squirrels and snakes!” Keith said.

“Where did you go on a walk at?” Kolivan asked gently.

“My usual jogging route.” Antok answered for Keith. Kolivan knew the area well; when he had time in the morning, he enjoyed accompanying his husband on his jogs. The area in question was a nice little trail that was perfect for jogging or going on walks. He knew that most of the snakes that resided in the area weren’t venomous, but Antok would still be cautious in order to keep Keith safe.

“Well, I hope you two worked up an appetite. I made spaghetti.” Kolivan answered easily. Keith cheered and sat down in his usual seat at the kitchen table as Kolivan placed the plates down. “How was your day, Keith?” He asked curiously.

“Uh… I got picked on again, but then Antok took me on a walk and we had a lot of fun!” Keith said.

“Aw, I’m sorry you got picked on again, buddy. Have you told your teacher?” Kolivan asked. Keith nodded.

“Yeah. She told them to apologize, but they didn’t look like they meant it.” Keith said certainly. Kolivan nodded and thought for a moment.

“Well, we’ll talk to your school about it, okay?” Kolivan said. Keith nodded and put his plate in the sink when he was finished, too tired to insist on helping with the dishes like he usually would. Kolivan smiled and sent him off to take a bath and get his pajamas on while he started on the dishes. 

Keith entered the living room again, clad in rocketship pajamas and rubbing his eyes tiredly. His wet hair was dripping onto the collar of his shirt, and he was clearly only waiting for someone to read to him like one of them always did before bed. Kolivan smiled and got up, waiting for Keith to hug Antok goodnight before ushering him to his room and letting him pick out a book.

After Keith selected ‘the very hungry caterpillar’ for the fourth night in a row, Kolivan tucked the child under his blanket, letting him get comfortable before sitting down on the edge of the bed, beginning to read the book. Keith rested his head on Kolivan’s lap as he listened, his eyes slowly closing with a smile.

When he was finished with the book, Kolivan put it away on the bookshelf and gently swept back the child’s bangs, re-tucking the blanket around him and readjusting Keith’s hippo in the sleeping child’s arms. He turned on the child’s spiderman (his favorite superhero) nightlight, a soft red light bathing the room before leaving, keeping the door opened just a crack and leaving the hall light on as he headed to bed.

Antok was already dressed for bed, reading his book as he waited for his husband. Kolivan smiled and changed into sweatpants and one of Antok’s old shirts, climbing into bed and cuddling up to his husband’s warm body.

“Hello, my love.” Antok greeted, setting aside his book and kissing Kolivan’s cheek. He knew Kolivan preferred to go straight to bed, so he dimmed the light so that he would have an easier time getting to sleep. “Goodnight, honey. I love you.” He said.

“I love you too, An.” Kolivan answered sleepily, his head pillowed on Antok’s chest as he slipped into dreamland.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Allura visits, Keith has a movie night with his guardians.

It was a calm, sunny Saturday afternoon when Allura visited for a mandatory visit. Keith had recently returned from the park with his two foster parents, and the child had worn himself out. He was currently sitting on the couch, watching “Up” while Kolivan completed some paperwork for his company. Antok was reading on the other end of the couch, looking up sharply when he heard a sad little sob from the child.

“Oh, what’s the matter, Keith?” He asked as Kolivan pulled the child into his lap. Keith wiped his eyes and pointed at the screen, where Ellie’s death scene had just finished playing. That made a lot of sense, actually; that scene always brought tears to Antok’s eyes, and it sometimes made Kolivan outright bawl.

“Oh, I understand, buddy. It gets happier, I promise! But we can turn on something else if you want to.” Kolivan offered, not wanting his child to be upset. Keith sniffled and shuffled over to their DVD collection, grabbing a copy of “Monsters Inc.” just as the doorbell rang. Antok got up and shuffled over, smiling lightly when he opened the door.

“Hello, Mr. Marmora. I hope the last month has been nice?” Allura said conversationally.

“It has been. My husband and I have had a lot of fun with Keith around. Would you like to come in?” He said, moving aside and letting the woman in. Allura looked around and tilted her head when she saw the tears on Keith’s cheeks, although she quickly put two and two together when she saw the movie that was playing on the TV.

“Has everything gone smoothly?” Allura asked.

“Yeah. I mean, with kids, not a whole lot of things really go “smoothly” but we’ve been pretty good.” Kolivan answered. Keith smiled and waved at the woman that had become very familiar to him over his time in the foster care system. Allura waved back and smiled.

“Would you mind if I talk to Keith alone for a moment?” She asked. Kolivan and Antok nodded, leaving the room after ruffling Keith’s hair playfully. She sat down on the couch with the child. “Now, Keith, you know that you can tell me if anything is wrong, right?” She said. Keith nodded, as he had been through this several other times with the woman.

Although it wasn’t strictly required, Allura always made sure to pull the children aside to ask them if anything was going on in the home, away from the guardians. She knew that children were often too scared to tell her that anything was going on when they were in the presence of the guardians, too scared of some sort of punishment.

“Yeah. But I really really like it here! Kolivan and Antok are super, duper nice and they always take me to the park and they help me with bullies. And I have the bestest friends in the world.” Keith said. “But..” He trailed of, suddenly seeming shy.

“Yes, Keith? You know you can tell me anything and you won’t get in trouble.” Allura said.

“Some of the other families left me home alone for a long time when they had to work. I told Kolivan and Antok and they said I should tell you.” Keith said.

“Thank you for telling me that, Keith. Can you tell me which families did it? Its very important, they could do it to other little kids, and that isn’t okay.” Allura said. Keith quietly told her the families that did it, looking shy. “Thank you, Keith. I’m glad you like it here.” She said.

“I love it here.” Keith said. Allura nodded and went to retrieve the two guardians, smiling softly.

“It seems as though everything is perfectly in order.” Allura said. “Once again, you have the number to call if anything comes up.” She said, bidding goodbye to the small family. Kolivan smiled and put the new movie in for Keith, letting the child relax until dinnertime.

-

Kolivan and Antok had discovered that Keith had a few interests, after a while of gentle questioning.

Keith really likes to build with legos, so Antok had gotten a couple of lego sets, and dug out the collection that he and Kolivan had accumulated through years of caring for their nieces and nephews. Keith had been ecstatic when he had been given the legos, and he hadn’t stopped smiling all day.

Another thing that Keith really liked was doodling and coloring, so Kolivan had gifted him colored pencils, crayons, and a few coloring books, as well as providing printer paper whenever Keith wanted to doodle. Keith was extremely excited when he got the supplies, spending the entire day planted at the table, coloring and drawing.

Keith was incredibly grateful for his new things. He just couldn’t believe that those things were his now, and he could do whatever he wanted with them. He had followed a few instructions over how to build things with lego bricks, but he much preferred to build his own things. Sometimes, Kolivan or Antok would join him on the floor of the living room, legos surrounding both of them as they built. He had repeatedly enlisted their help to build things to be taller than him when he stopped being able to reach. 

He loved to draw. He knew he wasn’t the best artist, but he was always so proud of himself when his guardians put his drawings on the fridge. He loved to doodle what he saw outside his window, which often resulted in too-tall houses and apartment buildings, trees that reached the moon, and dogs that were the size of people. He thought it was pretty good, though, and that was all that mattered in his mind.

Although, nothing could beat the weekly movie nights that the small family had during the weekend. He always looked forward to Saturday nights, when Kolivan would make popcorn and Antok and Keith would decide on a child-friendly movie. Usually, Keith fell asleep before the movie was over, so one of his guardians would carry him to bed and tuck him in.

Like tonight, for example.

Kolivan had just placed the first bag of popcorn into the microwave when Antok and Keith sat down in front of the movie cabinet.

“What do you wanna watch, Keith?” Antok asked. Keith shrugged as he peered up at the movies.

“I dunno.” Keith said vaguely. In the background, he could hear popcorn popping from the kitchen.

“Have you ever watched… let’s see… Big Hero 6?” Antok asked. Keith shook his head. “Oh, you’ll love it.” Antok said, pulling the disc down and popping it into the DVD player. Keith ran to get his stuffed hippo, clinging to it as he settled himself on the couch just as Kolivan sat down with a large bowl of popcorn in his lap. Keith reached over and popped one in his mouth, giggling. Antok smiled as he pressed play on the movie.

Almost immediately, Keith was captivated by the movie, amazed at combination of science and action. He fell asleep about three quarters of the way through the movie, his head coming to rest on Kolivan’s arm, cuddling with his stuffed hippo. Antok smiled and paused the movie, scooping Keith into his arms and carrying him to his bedroom, tucking him in. Like every other night, he turned on the spiderman night light and left the room, leaving the door open just a crack.

Kolivan had already retreated to bed when Antok entered, clad in one of Antok’s old sweaters. Kolivan enjoyed wearing Antok’s shirts as sleep shirts or lazy day clothes, because they were loose on him and smelled like his husband. Antok smiled as he slid into bed besides Kolivan, kissing his cheek as he opened his book. Undeterred by the light of Antok’s lamp, Kolivan was quick to fall asleep with his head on Antok’s chest.

When Antok pulled himself away from the book, he smiled as he realized that Kolivan never undid his braid. He pulled out the hair tie and undid the braid, gently brushing his fingers through his husband’s wavy hair. He felt Kolivan huff a small, relaxed breath in his sleep, shifting ever closer to his husband.

Yes, this was the life Antok had always wanted; a calm life with his husband, with a wonderful child sleeping just a few doors down.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith throws a tantrum and overhears the wrong part of a conversation.

Keith, as his new guardians had observed, was a pretty well-behaved child. Of course, there were some small incidents on the child not wanting to do small, mundane things like picking up his toys or eating a certain food, but it was always cleared up quickly. 

Kolivan supposed that Keith’s reported temperament may have come from not having the space or time to calm down when he needed to, but he couldn’t be completely sure. But of course, nothing was completely smooth when it came to having a young child in the home.

-

Keith had woken up on the wrong side of the bed that morning, and he had made it clear since breakfast. He had had an attitude, but his guardians had quickly decided to give Keith the chance to calm down and gather himself.

After breakfast, like always on Sundays, Keith retreated to the living room to play with his legos. Antok had left for the few training appointments he had on Sundays, so Kolivan settled on the couch with his laptop to answer emails and other duties he had for his work, easily lightly tuning out the loud clacking of loose legos knocking together. He still kept himself aware of any noise other than that in case Keith wanted to talk to him.

“Kolivan?” Keith asked shyly after about an hour and a half.

“Yes?” Kolivan responded, looking up from his laptop.

“Can we go to the park?” Keith requested. Kolivan glanced outside, only to find that it was raining out.

“Not now, buddy, its raining. If it stops we can go, okay?” Kolivan said. Keith frowned.

“But I wanna go to the park!” Keith insisted.

“I don’t want you to get sick, buddy. Wait and see if it dries up, okay?” Kolivan said. Keith frowned deeper and shook his head.

“I wanna go to the park now!” He said loudly.

“Talking louder isn’t going to help you, bud.” Kolivan said calmly. He knew that if he argued back with Keith or lost his temper, it was very likely that Keith would get frightened and that was the last thing he wanted. Keith had gotten so used to being in the home that Kolivan didn't want him to lost that over a tantrum, something that every child threw at some point or another. Honestly, it was a surprise that Keith hadn't already thrown a tantrum. 

“I wanna go outside!” Keith shouted loudly, throwing some of his legos in the way all children expressed their anger.

“Don’t throw things, Keith. This is your warning. Calm down or go to your room.” Kolivan said.

“NO!” Keith shrieked, throwing more of his legos.

“Alright, you ignored your warning. Go to your room.” Kolivan said, trying to stay calm.

“No! I’m not gonna!” Keith shouted, stomping his feet and throwing a lego straight at Kolivan. It didn’t reach him, but he threw it nonetheless.

“Hey, you don’t throw things at people! Go calm down and see if you can talk with me calmly.” Kolivan said sternly, pointing in the direction of Keith’s room. Keith stood there for a moment before growling in his anger.

“I hate you!’ He shouted, storming off to his room and closing the door. Kolivan sighed quietly, deciding to give the boy room to calm down and gather himself. He'd check on him in 10 minutes or so, see if he was okay or if he needed more time to cool down. 

-

Keith sat down against the door, glaring at the wall as he stewed in his anger.

It didn’t take very long for him to realize that he should probably apologize at Kolivan. He got up and made his way to his bed, picking up his stuffed hippo. Although Keith hurt to give it away, he knew the other homes didn’t like him having his favorite toy with him when he was confined to his room. He didn’t want Kolivan to be mad at him, so he opened the door and placed the hippo outside in the hallways before closing it again, pausing when he heard Kolivan talking.

“I just don’t know what to do about it. I can’t stand it…” Keith closed the door after he heard that, convinced that Kolivan was on the phone with the foster agency, to get him into a new home. He ran over to his bed and curled up, trying to stifle his sobs.

He thought he should have known that would happen, that Kolivan would want to give him back. It hurt him in ways he couldn’t find the words to express, but he was used to it. He told himself that he wouldn’t make a fuss about it, because this was Kolivan and Antok’s home first and foremost, and they decided what to do with him.

Perhaps he should start gathering his things now, he thought, so he would be ready quicker. It would make it easier on him, he knew.

The sobs only came harder, and it became more of an effort to breathe between his sobs. Keith loved it in that home, he didn’t want to leave. He couldn’t believe he had messed it up all because he wanted to go outside.

-

Kolivan had decided to call Thace, who he figured might have insight into what to do, having two foster children in his house. He would know how to approach a child after an argument, to avoid startling them or making them believe he would be given back.

“I just don’t know what to do about it. I can’t stand it, he’s my kid, I don’t like arguing with him. I love him.” Kolivan told his brother-in-law.

“I get it, Kolivan. You just have to make it clear to him that you’re not mad at him. Be calm.” Thace said. Kolivan nodded and got up, wandering to the hallway and pausing when he saw Keith’s hippo sitting alone in the hallway. As he moved closer, he could hear breathless sobbing from Keith's room.

“I'll call you back.” Kolivan said, not waiting for Thace's response before hanging up. He picked up the stuffed animal and knocked a few times before entering. He rushed to Keith’s side and sat down, gently placing a hand on Keith’s back.

“What brought this on, buddy? Breathe, sweetie, you need to breathe.” Kolivan said quietly, rubbing Keith back and gently straightening him up a bit so he could breathe easier. It took a few minutes, but Keith was soon able to breathe regularly.

“Why is your hippo out in the hallway, buddy?” Kolivan asked. Keith sniffled and wiped at his nose with his sleeve. “Blow your nose, Keith, you have a tissue box on your nightstand.” Kolivan scolded lightly, handing the child one of the aforementioned tissues. Keith nodded and blew his nose.

“I’m not supposed to have it.” Keith said matter-of-factly.

“What make you think that? You can always have your hippo with you, he’s your friend! He’s supposed to comfort you!” Kolivan said. Keith frowned.

“Hippo’s a girl, not a boy!” Keith said.

“Oh! I’m sorry, I had no idea idea! Well, she’s still supposed to comfort you.” Kolivan said. Keith shrugged.

“All the other families said I couldn’ have my toys when I’m getting punished.” Keith explained.

“Well, here, you can always have your hippo to hug for comfort, even if you’re being punished. Why were you crying so hard?” Kolivan asked gently.

“I heard you talkin’ about how you couldn’t stand me.” Keith said. “You’re gonna give me back! I don’t wanna leave! I love it here!” The child said.

“Oh, you just heard me talking to your uncle Thace about how I don’t like to argue with you, buddy. Antok and I don’t wanna give you back, you’re our kid.” Kolivan said. Keith looked up at him for a few moments before hugging Kolivan tightly, crying tears of joy.

“Thank you! Thank you!” Keith said.

“No need to thank us, buddy. You just keep being you, okay? No matter how many arguments we have, I will never want to give you back.” Kolivan reassured. Keith nodded clung onto the man tightly, refusing to let go. Luckily, Keith wasn’t very heavy, so it was easy for Kolivan to lift him and go into the master bedroom.

“Do you want me to call Antok home too?” Kolivan asked gently. Keith thought for a moment.

“When will he be home?” He asked.

“In about an hour and a half.” Kolivan said. Keith leaned his head against Antok’s pillow with a smile.

“I can wait.” He said. Kolivan nodded and laid down.

“I think you need to rest for a little bit, bud. All that crying’s gonna wear you out.” Kolivan said gently, running his hand through Keith’s hair. Keith nodded and looked up at Kolivan.

“Stay?” He asked shyly.

“Of course, bud. Just let me go get my laptop real quick.” Kolivan said, retreating to the living room and returning with his laptop in hand. As soon as he settled down under the blanket, Keith laid his head on Kolivan's lap, relaxing and closing his eyes before falling asleep.

-

When Antok returned, he smiled at the sight of his child sleeping while his husband worked diligently.

“What’s going on here?” He asked fondly, sitting on Keith’s other side. Kolivan smiled lightly.

“Keith and I had a small incident. He’s just resting now.” Kolivan said.

“What happened?” Antok asked worriedly, his eyebrows furrowing. Kolivan leaned his head on Antok’s shoulder, shrugging.

“He threw a tantrum because he wanted to go to the park, so I sent him to his room to calm down. He heard the wrong part of a phone call with Thace about how I didn’t like arguing with him because I loved him, and he thought we were going to give him back. He’s resting now, he was pretty tired out about it.” Kolivan said. 

“Oh. I am glad he is no longer under the impression we’ll give him back.” Antok said. Kolivan nodded and set his laptop aside, curling up at Antok’s side and readjusting Keith’s position so he wasn’t squished between them but spread out on top of both of them. The child remained peacefully asleep, his mouth slightly agape as he snored.

“We should wake him up soon. He has school tomorrow, and he'll never get to bed on time if he sleeps for much longer.” Kolivan said, chuckling quietly at Keith's snores.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kolivan and Antok have to go away for the weekend.
> 
> Keith stays with Krolia and Tex.

It was inevitable that both Kolivan and Antok would have to leave eventually, really.

Kolivan had had an important business trip planned since before they had begun to foster Keith, and cancelling so soon to it was just not an option.

Antok had arranged to go to a retreat for personal trainers the same weekend, in order to learn new methods of helping his clients reach their goals. 

“Keith, can we talk to you for a second?” Kolivan said, drawing Keith’s attention from where the young boy was playing with legos. Keith scampered over and climbed onto the couch, giggling when he was pulled into Antok’s lap.

“Keith, kiddo, Kolivan and I have to leave for a little bit. Just for the weekend.” Antok said. Keith frowned, looking confused.

“I have to go back?” He asked sadly.

“No no no! You don’t have to go back, buddy. You’re gonna be staying with your aunt Krolia and uncle Tex for the weekend. Just two days, and we’ll be back before you know it. You can even call us if you’re scared for any reason.” Kolivan reassured. Keith nodded slowly. “Now, do you want to help us pack an overnight bag for you?” Kolivan asked. Keith nodded and followed his foster parents to his room. 

-

Friday evening saw the small family dropping Keith off at Krolia’s house. Krolia answered the door and smiled when she saw her brother, his husband, and their son.

“Hey there! Right on time.” Krolia said, smiling gently at Keith. Kolivan set Keith down and knelt down in front of him after greeting Krolia.

“Remember, kiddo, we’ll be back before you know it. You can always call us, okay? Antok will pick you up Sunday afternoon and I’ll be home soon after that, okay? I want you to behave for your aunt Krolia, and obey their house rules just like you would ours. Is that clear?” Kolivan said. Keith nodded and hugged his two guardians tightly.

“We’ll be home soon, kiddo. We love you.” Antok said, kissing Keith’s forehead, Kolivan repeated the option and handed him off to Krolia.

As the door closed, Krolia turned to Keith with a smile on her face.

“You’re right on time, Keith! Tex is in the kitchen making dinner. Do you like cheeseburgers?” Krolia asked. Keith shrugged a bit.

“Antok and Kolivan said I shouldn’ have cheeseburgers cause I’m lac… lac… I can’t have milk.” Keith settled on, unable to fully pronounce “Lactose intolerant.” Krolia blinked in surprise before nodding.

“We can take cheese off for you, how does that sound?” Krolia suggested. Keith smiled and nodded, so Krolia disappeared into the kitchen. “Tex, sweetheart, don’t add cheese to Keith’s hamburger. He’s lactose intolerant.” Krolia said. Tex looked over and nodded.

“Alright, darlin’. Is he doing alright?” Tex asked.

“I don’t think he’s happy about being separated from Kolivan and Antok, but I think he’s doing okay.” Krolia said. “Then again, I may be wrong.” Tex nodded and turned back to where he was cooking the vegetables.

-

“Alright, Keith. We expect you to eat as much as you can, but don’t feel bad if you can’t finish it. We expect you to eat at least half of your veggies, too, alright?” Krolia said. It was the same rule she held with her daughters at mealtimes, and she had already sent the girls off to pick up their toys from the living room floor before washing up for dinner. Keith nodded dutifully and followed Krolia into the dining room.

The hamburgers for the children were smaller, easier for the children to hold and eat. Keith smiled lightly as he started to eat. Krolia was surprised; sometimes, it was a struggle to get Ezor to eat her vegetables at dinner, but Keith ate them without complaint and actually seemed to enjoy them. Then again, she wasn’t too surprised; Keith had had second servings of the vegetables when they had visited for dinner.

“Thank you.” Keith said brightly when everyone was finished.

“You’re welcome, Keith. Now, do you usually take a bath at night before bed or in the morning?” Krolia asked.

“At night, usually.” Keith answered with a casual shrug. Krolia nodded and smiled.

“Alright, let’s get you bathed then, and then you and the girls can watch a movie before bed.” Krolia said, ushering Keith off to the bathroom.

-

Saturday passed with ease. Keith, although thrown off from his usual routine by being in a new environment, wasn’t too upset. He and Ezor got along well given that they were the same age. Acxa was even getting along with Keith, though she usually brushed off Ezor for being younger than her by a couple of years.

For the past hour or so, Tex had been listening to Keith babble on about his friends in his kindergarten class. It was honestly adorable to see the small boy so happy.

“Daddy, can we go to the park?” Ezor asked, running into the kitchen. Tex smiled lightly.

“Is it raining outside, E?” He asked.

“Nope!”

“Well, I don’t see why we can’t. Go get your shoes on and get your sister, sweetheart.” Tex said. “And ask if your mommy wants to come along.” He added, sending Keith to go get his shoes on as well.

The park was where things went a bit sideways.

Everything had gone well for the most part. The three children were playing while Tex and Krolia interacted with a few other parents that were there with their kids. It was a rather popular park near where they lived, and there were plenty of kids there for the three kids to play with.

Acxa had, as usual, been put in charge of keeping an eye on the two younger children to make sure they weren’t wandering off or getting themselves into trouble. It was her duty every time the family went to the park, an extra set of eyes in case Krolia and Tex couldn’t see Ezor or, in this case, Ezor and Keith.

“Mommy!” Ezor wailed, running over and curling up in Krolia’s lap. Tex frowned lightly and rubbed her youngest daughter’s back.

“What happened, sweetie?” He asked.

“The older kids are being mean to me and Keith!” Ezor wailed. “They kicked us!” Tex frowned and nodded in understanding.

“Where’s Keith?” He asked, before he saw Keith making his way over, crying. “Were the older kids being bullies to you too, kiddo?” Tex asked gently. Keith nodded and sniffled lightly, being pulled into Tex’s lap.

“Which kids were doing it, sweetheart?” Krolia asked with a concerned frown. Ezor sniffled and pointed at a group of kids who looked about eleven or twelve - far too old to be picking on a couple of five-year-olds, in any case. “Okay, sweetie. We’re gonna go talk to them, okay?” Krolia said. She grabbed Ezor’s and Keith’s hands, letting them lead her. “I want you guys to ask them to stop, okay?” She said. Keith sniffled and hid himself behind Krolia.

“No thank you, auntie.” He said politely. Krolia smiled and scooped him up. “Alright, sweetie. Do you wanna just come sit with me and calm down for a little bit?” She asked. Keith nodded and sniffled. “Alright, whatever makes you comfortable. What about you, Ezzie?” She asked. Ezor clutched tighter to Krolia’s hand. “Okay.”

Krolia led the two children back to the bench, rubbing their backs to try and calm them down. Ezor sniffled and rubbed triedly at her eyes, sighing quietly to herself.

-

The night went rather smoothly compared to their day at the park.

Keith was sleeping in a guest bedroom, and obviously it was rather scary for the young child to sleep in such an unfamiliar space. Krolia had, as Kolivan had recommended, left the light in the hallway on. It wasn’t any skin off her shoulder, she did the same thing for Ezor every night anyway.

Keith had, despite everything, gotten into bed without much of a fuss, been tucked in by Tex, and fell asleep soon after he was given his hippo toy.

“Kolivan and Antok gave it to me when I got to them.” Keith explained to Tex, his vice quiet and slurred with sleepiness.

“You must love it then.” Tex answered with a smile. Keith grinned and nodded.

“Yeah. And I love Antok and Kolivan.” Keith said, settling down under the blankets. “Goodnight.”

“G’night, kiddo.” Tex answered, leaving the room.

-

Sunday wasn’t as good. The park on Saturday had been the only bad part of the day on Saturday. Keith had called his guardians the night to say goodnight, and was greaty reassured when they answered and promised they’d be back the next day to see him.

Sunday was bad. Keith was anxious for Antok to pick him up, sighing quietly. He refused to move away from the front window, watching for Antok’s vehicle like a hawk.

“Keith, its time for lunch. Antok is due back at two. It’s noon right now, he’ll be here in about two hours. Come eat lunch please.” Tex said. Keith shook his head stubbornly, remaining where he was. “Come on, Keith, I don’t wanna argue with you, kiddo. It’s time for lunch. I promise Antok will still be here.” Tex said. Keith frowned and followed Tex to the dining room, quietly eating his dinosaur chicken nuggets and veggies with Ezor and Acxa. He practically inhaled the meal at first before Krolia told him to slow down so he didn’t choke.

Keith grumbled his way through his meal before reclaiming his perch at the front window, watching for the familiar car that belonged to Antok.

Finally, six minutes after 2 o’clock, a familiar car pulled up in front of the home. Not long after that, Antok was at the door.

“Antok!” Keith shouted, hugging him tightly. Antok grinned and hoisted Keith up onto his hip.

“Hey, there, kiddo!” He said brightly. “Did he behave?” He asked Krolia.

“Oh, he was an angel, Antok. He was a bit anxious to see you because he knew you were coming home today, but I don’t think he should be punished for that.” Krolia answered. Antok nodded and smiled.

“Well, thank you for caring for him for the weekend. I appreciate it, as does Kolivan.” Antok said.

“Oh, its no problem. He’s welcome back anytime. Goodbye, Keith.” Krolia said brightly. Keith smiled.

“Bye, auntie Krolia.” He said as Antok carried him down to the car and put him in the backseat.

-

It wasn’t long after they got home that Kolivan walked in. The man was nearly tacled by the five-year-old in the boy’s excitement to see him. He hoisted the boy onto his hip and ruffled his hair.

“Oh, I’ve missed you, buddy!” Kolivan said brightly. He missed Antok’s cheek in greeting with a grin. 

The little family was back together again, even if they had only been apart for a few days.

And Keith couldn’t have been happier.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kolivan's parents visit.

Kolivan’s parents were visiting. This was a fact that concerned Kolivan a great deal. 

“I’m sure everything will be fine, Koli. Your parents are sweet.” Antok reassured the night before they were due to arrive. Kolivan sighed and curled up against his husband.

“They’re sweet, but they can be a bit overbearing. I just don’t want Keith to get overwhelmed.” He explained quietly.

“If that happens, we can just explain how sensitive Keith is and warn them to avoid being too strong with him.” Antok said. Kolivan just nodded and smiled lightly, settling down to go to sleep.

-

“Kolivan, sweetie, its so good to see you again! Your father and I have missed you.” Kolivan’s mother said, wrapping her arms tightly around her son. Kolivan smiled and hugged his mother.

“I’ve missed you guys too, mom.” He said. He hugged his dad and lead them to the guest room, which had been set up for their visit.“Antok usually picks Keith up from school on his way home from his last appointment. They’ll be home soon enough, I’m sure.” 

“How is Antok doing? Quite well, I assume?” Kolivan’s father said. Kolivan nodded and smiled, settling down on the couch to watch some TV with his parents. They enjoyed watching reality TV, and although it typically wouldn't have been Kolivan's initial choice for what to watch, he was willing to watch it because it made his parents happy.

-

Keith and Antok returned home within the hour. Keith ran to Kolivan excitedly, grinning as he was scooped up into Kolivan’s arms. Keith had been coming out of his shell more and more the longer he stayed with Kolivan and Antok, and he truly loved being there.

“Oh, Kolivan, sweetie, is this Keith? Oh, he’s adorable!” Kolivan’s mother said. Keith jumped and curled into Kolivan.

“Oh, uh, he’s pretty shy, mom.” Kolivan warned. “Keith? Keith, bud, everything’s okay. This is my mom and dad.” He introduced gently. Keith glanced shyly at the gentle pair.

“Hi.” Keith greeted quietly, waving his hand.

“Hello there, kiddo.” Kolivan’s father greeted with an inviting smile. “You just came home from school, right? How was that?”

“Um… it was fun. Lance and I found a frog and Miss Romelle told us we should leave it alone because it has its own family to go home to.” Keith said quietly. Kolivan smiled.

“That’s right. You shouldn’t try to pick up wild animals. You can play with Kova, see? Because she’s a house cat.” Kolivan said. The cat in question was lounging on the back of the couch, ignoring them for the most part. Keith nodded and smiled at him. “Now, why don’t you go put your backpack away while Antok and I get started on dinner.” He said, sending the child off to his room. 

Keith returned after about five minutes, his hippo in his arms. He climbed up onto the couch and gently pet Kova. The cat in question looked over and promptly decided that she didn’t really care, stretching out where she was laying.

“So, Keith, do you have lots of friends?” Kolivan’s mom asked sweetly. Keith shrugged shyly.

“I have some friends.” He said quietly, fidgeting with some legos as a cartoon played on the TV. “Lance and Hunk and Pidge… and James and Ryan and Nadia and Ina.” He said, listing off his main group of friends.

“Wow, that’s a lot of friends! I bet they must be good friends.” Kolivan’s mother said brightly. Keith smiled and nodded, starting to build what was probably a tower. 

“Yeah! They’re the bestest friends ever!” The child said. Kolivan’s mother couldn’t help but smile and coo at how adorable Keith was.

“Papa, is dinner gonna be ready soon?” Keith asked curiously. Antok and Kolivan’s heads whipped around at the name, as it was the first time Keith had referred to either of them as anything other than their names. The downside was that neither of them knew who Keith was talking to.

“Dinner will be ready in about fifteen minutes, kiddo.” Kolivan said, scooping Keith up. “In the meantime, do you wanna hang out with us in the kitchen?” Keith nodded and laid his head on Kolivan’s shoulder, holding onto his hippo tightly.

“Yes please, daddy.” He said quietly. Kolivan grinned above Keith’s head and kissed the child’s head, carrying him into the kitchen.

“Alright, bud. Now, what did you do at school today?” Kolivan asked gently. Keith grinned and looked between his two foster fathers.

“Lance and I found a toad! And James and Ryan and Nadia played hide and seek and they were seeking and they cheated!” He said, clearly more than a little offended. In reality, the children had just followed the sounds of excited giggling until they had located their friends, but Keith considered it cheating.

“Oh, did they? Well, I’m sure they didn’t mean to cheat.” Antok said, ruffling Keith hair before turning back to the skillet to avoid burning the meal.

“They didn’ but still!” Keith said. He reached out for Antok for a hug, which the larger of the two foster father obliged, giving Keith a tight, enveloping hug that made Keith feel right at home.

“I love you, buddy.” Antok said brightly, setting him down on the counter. “Don’t touch the stove, kiddo, it’ll burn you.” He added gently, turning back to his cooking. Kolivan walked over and smiled.

“Tok, honey, don’t continually mix. Occasionally mix. It doesn’t cook right if you continually mix.” Kolivan advised. Antok nodded and stopped stirring so continuously. “You’re adorable, honey. I love you.” Kolivan said, wrapping his arms around his taller partner from behind. Antok grinned and turned around, wrapping his arms tightly around Kolivan, kissing his forehead.

“I love you too, sweetie. More than words can ever say.” He said back, humming in content.

It was an incredibly domestic scene, almost overwhelmingly so. But looking at their child so happy, Kolivan’s mother and father knew that this was what Kolivan had always wanted; to be happy with his husband and their children, even if there was only one at that point. And Keith was certainly benefitting from being at the Marmora residence, as Kolivan had reported him as being extremely shy when he had first arrived. 

Yes, Kolivan and his family could not have been in a better position for happiness.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kolivan, Antok, and Keith go to the storytime hour at the local library.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you guys have any ideas for this series, request them below or on my tumblr!

Keith was a sweet child, nice to most people he encountered and incredibly polite.

That didn’t, however, stop him from being picked on.

Keith, despite his sweet nature, was a quiet, nerdy kid by nature. He enjoyed reading his books along with what he got from his weekly trips to the library with Antok and Kolivan. Being only five, he couldn’t read anything but simple words and phrases, but he loved when he was read to at night. Currently, he was working through a Magic Treehouse book with Kolivan and Antok, having a chapter a night read to him before bed. He also enjoyed building various structures with his legos. Sometimes, it was from directions, but most of the time he put together whatever came to mind. They weren’t exact replicas of the things he intended to make, and could really be interpreted as anything from a box to a cheetah. It made Keith happy, though, and there really was no harm in it.

So, when Kolivan heard from a colleague that the library was doing a storytime for children around Keith’s age, he knew that Keith would love it.

-

On the day of the storytime session, a Sunday, and thus the one day nobody in the house worked or went to school, Antok helped Keith get ready to leave. Really, all he did was pick clothes for Keith, because if left alone the child would likely select some unmatching outfit that just looked horrendous. Now, Antok wasn’t saying Keith had to look perfect all the time, but there was a time and place for neon blue shorts, a highlighter yellow shirt, and gray crocs.

Keith ended up dressed in a pair of black shorts and a red t-shirt, along with his usual sneakers. It was comfortable and looked presentable, and not to mention that Keith loved red, so it was a win-win situation for everyone. Kolivan grinned and got Keith into the car, hopping into the drivers seat and waiting for Antok to get in before starting the journey to the library. 

The library wasn’t very far from their home, just about a ten-minute drive. Once there, Kolivan led Keith inside and into the children’s section of the library, where other children around Keith’s age were already settling down on a plush rug for the story. There was a spot up front where the storyteller was meant to sit, because the stool was a tiny bit raised from where the floor was so the kids could see the pictures without having to crane their necks around other children sitting in front of them.

Kolivan sent Keith to go socialize a bit with the other kids, sitting down in one of the chairs with Antok and starting to chat with the other parents that were there. 

-

Keith glanced around at the group of kids gathered, brightening when he saw a couple of familiar faces.

“Lance! Hunk!” He said excitedly, sitting next to his friends. The two in question looked over and grinned, and Hunk wrapped him in a tight hug (or, as tight as a hug from a five-year-old could get, anyway.) Keith giggled and settled down, grinning.

Antok felt a tap on his shoulder and looked over.

“Which one is yours?” A woman, around his age, asked. Antok smiled and looked over at Keith, gesturing to him.

“He is.” He said with a proud smile.

“Oh, my. My little Hunk is with them.” The woman said with a smile. At that moment, Hunk ran over with Keith in tow.

“Mommy! Mommy, this is my friend Keith! From school!” He said happily. Keith smiled and waved at Kolivan and Antok, who smiled and waved encouragingly. 

“Oh, well what a coincidence that you saw him here, huh?” Hunk’s mom said with a smile. “Nice to meet you, Keith.”

“Nice to meet you too!” Keith said softly. Kolivan ran his fingers through Keith’s hair.

“The story is about to start, buddy. Go sit down, okay?” He said. Keith nodded and went back to their spot with Hunk.

As Kolivan predicted, it wasn’t long before the storyteller settled down on the stool, smiling. She was a young woman, maybe nineteen or twenty years old at the most, who had a voice that was loud enough so all the kids could properly hear the story and who took the time between each page so each kids could see the picture. The story was something about a dog who got sad because it missed his friend, another dog, and then they went on a playdate. Something like that, for Kolivan hadn’t paid full attention the entire time.

When the story was over, Keith came over and climbed into Kolivan’s lap, smiling.

“Can we go get books? Please?” he asked. Kolivan grinned and nodded, getting up and following Keith around the children’s section of the library. Like every other trip, Kolivan and Antok set a limit of 3 books that they could check out, and it wasn’t long before Keith had three books and was following Antok to the checkout kiosk.

Antok scanned the library card and smiled, letting Keith scan the books before they went to the car once again. 

“Did you have a nice time, Keith?” Kolivan asked as he drove the small family home. Keith nodded excitedly.

“Yeah! I loved it!” Keith said. “Can we come back next time, please?” He asked excitedly. 

“Of course we can, bud!” Kolivan answered, always happy to nurture Keith’s love of reading and stories. By the time they got home, Keith was nearly asleep, exhausted from the excitement of the last couple of hours.

Antok carried Keith up to his room, laying him in bed and tucking Hippo into his arms before tucking him in, turning out the light. He left the hall light on and the door cracked, as they always did for Keith because he was afraid of the dark.

All in all, Kolivan thought the day was a success, and he couldn’t wait for next Sunday to roll around to have the same sort of fun again.

**Author's Note:**

> Check out my tumblr legendary-marmorans


End file.
